Through Crimson Hell
by PureElement
Summary: Sakura has become emotionless and cold with no attention or love, the scary thing is, she's powerful. When she accepts the Akatsuki's invitation to join them, what will happen? Where does Itachi fit into the picture? Slight ItaxSaku.
1. A Beginning

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

"Sakura-chan!!" That annoying brat's voice hit my ears like a thousand needles to my body. Naruto. I sighed and turned around, crossing my arms across my chest as I did so. The sight that greeted me was not a welcome one.

That _baka_ was running up to me waving his arms like a mad man with that dopey smile on his face. I frowned, my eyes narrowing dangerously.

He skidded to a halt in front of me, but before he could open his mouth, I answered his question for him.

"No."

His eyes widened. "No, what?" He asked.

"No, I'm not going to lend you money." I told him. He scowled childishly and took on a slump posture.

"How'd you know?"

"From the fact that you only approach me when you're broke!" I whispered angrily. His lips parted as he started to protest, but I interrupted him by stalking away. Ignoring his calls for me to come eat ramen with him.

I rolled my eyes. What was with that boy and ramen?

Walking slowly through town I let my mind wander; and, as usual, it wandered to the past. I thought back on when I was part of Team Seven. Back when I was obsessed about that pretty boy bastard, Sasuke.

Geez, that night when he left Konoha, I can't believe I said I loved him. What an idiot I was. Why couldn't I see that he was distracting me? He held me back. I wanted him to feel important and the best at everything, so I never showed my true power.

I slapped myself hard on the forehead, then rubbed it viciously.

"Damn, that hurt." Only then did I notice the person walking towards me. "Oh great. I keep meeting people today. Ahh, the beautiful feeling of nostalgia." I whispered sarcastically.

Of course the person that the day decided to send to me was Kakashi.

As we approached each other he waved his hand in greeting, not looking up though, from his perverted book.

"Yo." He said. I just 'hn'ed and walked right past him. I really didn't care about him. He used to be my teacher and that's all. And he wasn't even that great a teacher! Well, at least not for me. He was great for Sasuke and okay for Naruto. But for me, well let's put it plainly; he sucked.

As my feet kept moving I found myself headed for my mother and father's graves. Soon enough they stood in front of me and I looked at them with a blank eye.

It's because of their deaths that I am who I am. As if Sasuke's betrayal, Naruto's selfishness and Kakashi's indifference weren't enough, those two had to go out and die on a mission. They died and left me alone.

I smirked as I remembered Gaara's old attitude, the whole 'I love only myself' thing. That pretty much summed up my feelings at the moment.

Throwing one last glance at the graves of my parents, I turned home, not caring about the thunder that started to crack overhead or the rain that started to pour.

By the time I got home, I was soaked. Not allowing myself to shiver I fished around in one of my many secret pockets for the key to my apartment. I found it quickly and inserted it into the lock. It gave way and I opened the door into my home.

I switched on the lights and sighed as an involuntary shiver swept through my body.

Slowly I made my way to the bathroom, wishing for nothing more than a long, hot shower. I grimaced at the noise my sopping wet shoes made against my hard wood floors.

A good forty five minutes later I finally stepped out of the shower. The hot water had felt so nice, it almost made me feel warm. Almost. But no, I still felt cold and I had a feeling I always would.

Getting dressed in my baggy pajama bottoms and t-shirt I couldn't help but to frown. Something was wrong and I didn't know what.

As I rested my fingers on the doorknob, it suddenly hit me. There was another person's chakra in my house, and it was well disguised too.

Carefully I turned the knob and opened the door. Whoever it was, sat in my bedroom, obviously waiting for me. Allowing my body to tense for a struggle I walked into my room.

All I could see was the outline of a person with an Akatsuki cloak on.

I leaned in the doorway, arms crossed against my chest in my normal pose. A couple of silent moments passed before the intruder turned their head towards me. Even in the dark I could see the familiar Sharingan eyes blazing.

"You must be pretty good to hide your chakra from me for that long," I said in my cold, emotionless voice. "Uchiha Itachi."

"Haruno Sakura. I have a message to you from the Leader of Akatsuki." He walked forward and placed an envelope on my bed, all the while keeping his gaze on me. "Please reply within a week." With that he was gone.

Cautiously I approached the message. I picked it up gently and ripped through the delicate paper envelope. And for some odd reason, what I read when I unfolded the letter pleased me greatly.

_Haruno Sakura,_

_From what I hear of you, you are an amazing ninja_

_and a cold blooded killer._

_We, the Akatsuki, wish for you to join us, as we would be well pleased_

_with the addition your combat and medical skills._

_You have power Sakura-san, and we can give you more._

_Leader_

Slowly a smirk made it's way onto my features. The letter was right, they could give me power. Maybe if I joined I'd get to go after Naruto sometime. The very idea made me tingle with excitement. To see his face when he realizes I'm Akatsuki...

Maybe it was time I finally show these _baka_ people what I'm was really, truly capable of doing. Yes. I should.

Besides what was left for me here? Nothing but stupid nostalgia and equally stupid people. Even Tsunade didn't talk to me much anymore, mostly only to send me out on assassinations. Basically to the village, I had become a tool. Naruto was a tool too, but he was a well loved tool. I was hated for my cold and heartless ways. For the attitude that made people cross the street just to get out of my way.

I was strong. Stronger than the Hogake and that's what scared people.

Hmm, yes. I think I'll accept their invitation.

With that decided I crawled into my bed and snuggled into my pillow as I fell asleep.

The next morning greeted me with dark clouds and thunder. Getting up I decided I'd find Itachi and tell him my reply. I dressed in wide, black pants that hid my feet, a long sleep mesh top with a tight red tank top over it and a studded belt slung low on my hips.

Standing in front of the mirror I outlined my eyes thickly in black eyeliner, making sure the ends curved up a bit, giving my eyes a more slanted, dangerous look.

Taking my Konoha Ninja headband I slashed through the symbol with a kunai then tucked it into a pocket. Strapping my ANBU katana onto my back I left, planning on never returning.

**Ok. That was the first chapter in my new story. For anyone that's curious, this story is ItaSaku, but there will be no lemon!! It's rated M for strong language (occasionally), depression and violence, in other words, not for little kiddies or the faint of heart. **

**Please review and tell me what you think. Please (gives irresistible puppy dog eyes). Please no flaming. If you don't like it, don't read it. However anyone with constructive criticism will be welcomed with open arms. **

**If you start flaming me, then I'll set Itachi on you. **

**Itachi : _grumbles_ "I'll do no such thing"**

**PureElement : _growles and advances with kunai in hand_**

**Itachi : _whimpers_ "Ok, ok. If they flame you I'll go after them. Happy?"**

**PureElement : "Uh huh!!" _jumps around and does happy dance_**

**Itachi : 0.0 "Didn't need to see that."**

**PureElement : "Shut up!" _whacks Itachi on head with chakra enhanced hand_**

**Itachi : _collapses on floor and goes into a series of convulsions_**

**PureElement : "Oops. Oh well, review!!"**

**Disclaimer : IDONTOWNNARUTO!! well glad to get that out of the way **


	2. I Don't Care

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

As I walked through town I could feel the heated glares, the frightened looks; hear the cruel whispers, but I didn't care. Soon enough I'd be away from them, away from everything.

I smirked and continued walking as though I knew nothing.

It wasn't long before I found Itachi. He was dressed in civilian clothes, that looked very strange on him, with a pack on his back. I walked straight up to him and handed him my headband. He looked down at it, and I saw his eyes widen just the tiniest of bits.

"So, your choice is to join then." He said. I just nodded and stared out over the city from the rooftop where we stood. "Alright then, we should leave immediately. The longer I stay here, the more chance I have of being recognized."

"I understand." I told him.

"I have your cloak in my pack along with my own. Now let's go." Swiftly he turned around and started to walk away, I soon followed him.

Together we approached the gates.

"Excuse me, but nobody is allowed out of Konoha unless you have a letter of permission from Tsunade-sama." A voice called to us. I looked over to find it was Genma, his senbon in his mouth as usual.

"Really? Why not?" I asked stiffly.

"Don't you know lady? Uchiha Itachi's been spotted in the city. Nobody's allowed out, for fear that he'll leave before we catch him." He answered. I felt my companion give an audible sigh. "Now do you have a letter from the Hogake?"

I turned to look at Itachi, my questions filling my eyes. He gave the barest of nods. I smirked as I turned back the Jounin in front of me.

"Well, this is troublesome. Don't you recognize me, Genma?" I inquired. His gaze narrowed, then widened sharply.

"Haruno Sakura?" I gave a curt nod before demanding that he open the gate for us. "I'm really sorry Haruno, but I can't do that. I already told you that."

I turned back to Itachi.

"Might as well take them out now." I told him. He reached into his backpack and pulled out our cloaks, handing me mine. I slipped it on, loving the way the satiny material caressed my skin. I also took my now slashed headband and tied it over my forehead, as did Itachi.

A metal clang met my ears and I returned my gaze to Genma to see that his senbon had fallen out of his mouth. He stared at me, shocked.

"You... you... traitor." He managed to whisper. My eyes narrowed as I gave him a cold look.

"Like you really care what I do. Itachi, may I kill him?"

"Sure. Have at him." Was the response.

I didn't say a thing, just grabbed my katana and rushed towards the other ninja. He disappeared. Well at least to other people, my trained eyes saw exactly where he was.

He was trying to circle around me and attack me from behind. I almost groaned. This was too easy.

Going up on the ball of my foot I spun away, evading his hits. Forming some quick hand signs I whispered my justsu.

"_Kage no Bunshin_." In a moment there were ten of me, each of us holding our katana in our hand, ready to stab him through.

Swiftly, we formed a circle, cutting off his escape routes. He tried hiding in the earth, but I figured that basic move out before it happened.

"Uh uuh. We can't have you leaving our little party now can we? We're just about to start the fun." The moment the words were out of my mouth I attacked. All my shadow clones rushed towards him, all piercing their katanas through his body.

I felt a slight pang go through me at the cry that rang out from him, but I brushed it off and looked over my handiwork with a keen eye. All my replications disappeared in smoke as I stepped towards the fallen Jounin.

Crouching next to him I felt for his pulse, there was nothing. I then used chakra to search his body, to make sure there was _nothing_ working and he wasn't using any type of advanced genjutsu.

When fully satisfied I stood up and returned to Itachi.

"Let's go, before the others get here." I said coolly, the Uchiha nodded and we hurried out of the city.

"You are good, Sakura-san. You didn't even give that man a chance to really attack you." He stated quietly after about an hour of silent walking.

"That's how I fight. Never give the enemy an opportunity."

He looked at me, a smirk on his clear features.

"You might just be useful after all." If I'd been younger I would have been thrown into a flurry of anger at the fact that he dare suggest that I was useless. Instead I just returned his statement with a cold smile.

"You'd be surprised."

That was the end of our conversation as we lapsed into silence once again. And I must say the silence was nice. It was companionable and comfortable, perfect for two members of Akatsuki.

Remembering that I was now an enemy of Konoha I looked down at the cloak that hung loosely on my small frame. The red and white clouds were vibrant against the pitch black background.

A breeze came up and my bangs blew into my eyes as my once again long, pink hair fluttered wildly.

Slyly I looked over at my fellow traveler, seeing his red sharingan orbs flash to me to me every few seconds. Hmm, maybe I was making an impression on him, or maybe he just didn't trust me enough not watch me.

I shrugged it off. Either way, I didn't really care.

**Yay! Another chapter!! Anyway, I know the fight was really short, but you have to understand that Sakura is _good_. She's also fast, so that whole thing probably took less than two minutes.**

**Please review! Or I'll set Itachi on you:D**

**Itachi : _grumbles about being used_**

**Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto, though I wish I did. (goes and cries in corner)**


	3. Power

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

We continued traveling like this for eight days. Arriving on the ninth at the Akatsuki Headquarters.

I must say, upon arriving, I was surprised. It was an old Japanese manor with beautiful landscaping. Blooming cherry trees surrounded the building, an ocean of tall green grasses waved from beneath them. To my right there was a large pond that sparkled and shimmered in the early morning sunlight.

I took a deep breath, the sweet smell of cherry blossoms invading my senses.

There was something so peaceful about the place, so pure and innocent. It didn't seem like the kind of place that a group of S-class criminals would live. Truthfully, I'd expected a dark, intimidating castle; though I suppose that this could work too.

"You like it, yeah?" A voice called from my left. I turned to see a young blonde man walking calmly towards us. Deidara. Next to me, I heard Itachi give a growl of annoyance.

"Good morning." He greeted his fellow Akatsuki comrade fairly politely.

The blonde reached us and came to a stop in front of me. He leaned down and peered closely at me. I glared at him. He was in my personal space and I told him so. He ignored me, instead turning to Itachi.

"Sooo, this is the girl that Leader wanted so much?" He asked, then looked back at me. "She doesn't look like much."

Okay, I admit, that got me a little pissed. It didn't take long for Deidara to go flying back a good fifty feet.

"Yes, I'm small. Yes, I'm a woman. But make no mistake, I'm stronger than any of the three Sannin. I could probably beat you into the ground." I whispered angrily.

Deidara stood up nursing a huge goose egg.

"Uuhg. I believe you, yeah. But did you have to hit that hard?" He whined.

"Yes." I said, glaring. The clay user just brought up his hands and stuck out all three of his tongues.

Of course, being the cold hearted bitch that I am, I just gave him a 'you-immature-weirdo' look. However, if I still had my old personality, I'm sure I would have smiled.

"So," I looked back to Itachi. "are we going to enter your guys' ever so humble abode?" Of course, the last part was said sarcastically.

Apparently Sasuke's common response of 'hnn' runs in the family. Then again, maybe he picked it up from his older brother.

At that moment I couldn't help but to stare at Uchiha Itachi. He looked so handsome in his brilliant Akatsuki cloak against the brightly colored background. And I gotta say, if I still liked people I'd probably have fallen for him during our trip. Amazing what the circumstances of life can do to you, huh?

At that moment I felt and heard a weapon rushing towards me. Judging from the sound of the wind, it was big, big enough to block with a katana instead of dodging it. So that's what I did.

A split second later, my sword was locked against a huge, blue, scaled blade. And it was heavy, really heavy. Quickly I pumped some chakra into my arms and threw the offending sword of my own. The owner had to jump back to avoid getting thrown.

Itachi looked between the two of us, mild surprise in his eyes.

"Kisame, I'd like you to meet Haruno Sakura, the newest addition to our group." He said. The blue shark like guy looked me over carefully.

"She's strong. Not many people can overpower me. _Hajimemashite_, Haruno-san." He seemed willing enough to welcome me into their group, which was good, 'cause if he didn't then there'd be a serious problem between the two of us.

I nodded to him.

"_Hajimemashite_." I said in a bored voice. His eyes narrowed at me noticing that I had refused to say his name, even when he had said mine. I smirked. "What? I didn't say your name, because you deserve a nickname, and currently, I'm still trying to come up with it."

Deidara laughed.

"Not a good idea, yeah. He doesn't like nicknames. Trust me, I've tried, yeah." He warned me. I let out a chuckle.

"He doesn't scare me. And I've now decided on his nickname. 'Fishy'."

The word earned me a glare from Kisame, a girly laugh from the blonde and an amused snort from Itachi.

"If you ever dare call me that, I'll skin you alive!!" 'Fishy' yelled, more than a little perturbed.

"Like you actually could." With that I disappeared and reappeared behind him, pressing a kunai to his jugular. I could feel him give a small gulp. "I'm a medical-nin, I now everything in the human body, which means I know all of the points to attack. I could cause you severe pain for hours, no, _days_, before finally getting bored and killing you."

I placed a hand on his lower back, sending my foreign chakra up his spine and into his brain, creating waves of sharp pain that flowed throughout the his body. A small whimper escaped his lips and I smirked.

"Kisame!" Came Deidara's shout. "Let him go, it's good that your that strong, but you shouldn't hurt a team mate!" He yelled at me.

I removed my hands from Kisame and he dropped like a stone.

"I don't really care about you all. I'm only here for one thing and you really should keep it in your head to stay out of my way." I said.

"What is that thing?" Itachi asked. I looked to my right, out over the pond, then brought the kunai that was still in my hand up to my face, watching as the sun glinted off the smooth surface.

"Power, Itachi. Power." I whispered. I looked up at the Uchiha just in time to see a small smirk that graced his perfect features.

Perfect? Where the hell had that come from? Did I really think he was handsome? Oh geez, I did! Okay, it was time to stop my feelings again.

I closed my eyes and refused to feel anything. No pain, no love, no kindness. I put a door on my emotions, and sealed it.

When I opened them again I looked over the three, my green eyes hard and cold. None of them actually portrayed any fear of me, but I could feel it.

Okay, so Itachi didn't give off a hint of fear, but then again, he was probably the only one who could match my skills.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As I soon learned, my room was quite nice. It must've been decorated by someone with very good artistic taste. Immediately, an image of a certain blonde popped into my head.

"Deidara." I whispered as I walked over to the bed and ran my hand over the fine black cotton sheets.

_Well, I guess I should get settled._ I thought to myself.

I shed my dark cloak, laying it carefully out on my mattress.

Seeing as I hadn't brought much, there wasn't much to unpack, only some clothes I had bought on the way there.

A couple minutes later there was a knock on my darkly stained door. I got up to answer it.

There stood Deidara. He grinned when he saw me.

"So, you like your room, yeah?" He asked. I nodded.

"It's very nice. You have some real artistic talent." I told him.

"That's good to hear, yeah. Anyway, I came up her to ask if you wanted to come watch us train. You don't need to do anything until tomorrow, but I though maybe you'd like to watch." He said.

I thought it over. I really should watch. It'd be nice to know what kinda of fighting technique each of them had. What their strengths and weaknesses were.

I gave the barest of nods.

"I'll come."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 **

**Foreign words used;**

**Hajimemashite (Nice to meet you)**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 **

**There you go. Another chapter. Wow, this story is just pouring out of me. It's amazing to write.**

**Thanks to those who have reviewed!!**

**Sblood6**

**I love me**

**Gothic Saku-chan**

**AngelFox23**

**itachi-is-mine**

**foxg2rl7**

**tsuki-Kage**

**S2-SAKURA-S2**

**If you review, you'll get added to the list!! And you'll get cookies!! Ok, not really. Just thought I'd see if it'd work. Guess not, oh well.**

**Itachi : "Ok, when are me an' Sakura gonna hook up?"**

**PureElement : "Sakura and** I**!"**

**Itachi : "Whatever."**

**PureElement : **_**pouts**_**"You two might end up together, but your not 'hooking up'. I don't write lemons!!!"**

**Sakura : "Whew"**

**Itachi : "God damn it!!! **_**plots to kill me in my sleep. **_

**Please review!! I'll be eternally grateful!!**

**PureElement**


	4. A Memory I Wish to Forget

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

From watching the training I was able to gather a little information on the fighting styles within Akatsuki. Kisame sucked at close range fighting whereas Itachi rocked. No wonder they were put together, they balanced each other out. Diedara was okay with close range, but preferred to jump away and try to blow his opponent up. And Tobi; well I didn't get to see Tobi fight as he was nowhere to be seen.

Then suddenly, a thought struck me. I looked over to Itachi.

"What's the date?" I asked him.

"Why do you want to know?" He inquired. I scowled at him. "Fine, it's the ninth of May."

I sighed. It was _that_ day.

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, there is something I must do." I told the group as I turned and left.

Soon the world found me at the edge of the pond, staring off into the distance, a perfect cherry blossom in my hand.

Today marked the anniversary of my parents deaths

00

_I was only seventeen when it happened. Still so young. Still so _weak_. They had told me that it was just a normal mission and that they'd be home in a few days._

_So for five days I lived alone as I had done so much in the past. The sixth day came and went and I payed it no mind. Then seventh passed, then the eighth, then ninth and tenth. By then I was starting to worry._

_I went to Tsunade and spoke to her of my concern. She agreed with me. My parents should have been back by now. She sent out a team to find out what the delay was and she placed me as their medic._

_Early the next morning we started out._

_It could have been that the sun rose red that morning or that I had a dark feeling curling in my gut, but I knew that something wasn't right._

_All they were supposed to do was escort an important politician who had recently been targeted for assassination. But what they didn't know was that the next attempt involved a group of highly trained ninja._

_We found them near death, their breathing harsh and labored. _

_I worked hard to save them. But even I could only do so much against such deep wounds, however, I kept trying to keep them alive. I pushed away Shikamaru and Naruto when they told me to stop, that I was killing myself with the effort._

_Then, with the last of her life energy, my mother reached up and grabbed my wrist, preventing me from continuing._

"_Okaa-san!" I gasped. Did she not want to live? She shook her head at me, her own green eyes somber, as if to answer my silent question. _

"_Don't waste your life, Sakura. If you use any more chakra you'll die as well. I am shinobi. To be shinobi you must accept the fact that it's very possible to die on a mission. I'm just thankful I have been allowed to live this long" She whispered._

_I stared at her in horror._

"_Okaa-san, don't talk like that! I'm gonna fix you up the best I can and them we'll go back to Konoha, where Tsunade-sama will help you!" I knew I was only spewing lies, but I wanted so badly to believe them._

_My mother raised her hand to cup my cheek._

"_My dear Sakura." She coughed harshly. The blood dripped from her mouth as she tried to speak again, her words gargled. I was only able to make out one word... 'live'._

_Then she died. A few moments later my father followed._

_All I could see was the blood. The blood and their open, staring eyes. The warm, red liquid traveled down my hands to drip off my fingertips and stain my knees as I sat._

_Someone screamed. It was a horrible cry of pain. It took me a moment to realize that is was from my lips that the cry came._

00

I shivered. That had been a terrible year. The year I lost all reason to continue my life. The only reason I was still breathing at that moment was because my mom had told me to live, and I felt I couldn't disappoint her after I failed to save her. Still, she hadn't said how to live, so I did it the way I wanted.

Slowly I felt myself becoming emotional. I cursed as a single tear dripped down my face to land in the grass below. Just like earlier, I pushed all my feelings away, feeling the all too familiar pain in my chest as I refused to let myself feel a thing.

Deciding it was time to go back to the manor I carefully placed the cherry blossom in my hand down into the water, watching as it drifted away.

"Sakura-san!" Came Diedara's voice assaulted my ears just as Naruto's had. I cursed again. Right now really was not a time to try and approach me.

I whirled to face his approaching form.

"What?" I hissed. He seemed shocked for a moment at the raw anger and hatred that laced my voice like a snake's poison.

"I was just sent to tell you that there's some food if you want some, yeah." He told me. Damn! Just the sound of his voice nearly sent me into rage, but I controlled myself.

I forcefully relaxed my body. A sigh escaped me as I looked up at the now darkening sky.

"Alright." I said. The blonde grinned. Oh yes, far too much like Naruto. I think I had found who I hated most in this group

That night I ate in my room and went to bed fairly early, and surprisingly fell asleep, even though I now suffered from insomnia.

However, my sleep was far from restful, being full of memories of the past.

Needless to say I nearly blew Kisame up when he tried waking me the next morning. I was in a bad mood. He told me it was time for me to show them what I had.

I yelled at him for coming into my room and picked him up, throwing out the door and into the wall of the hallway.

In an hour everybody was gathered to watch me fight. Diedara was my first opponent. I smirked and laughed.

"You want me to fight _him_?!" I pointed at the man in front of me, who scowled.

"Don't underestimate me, yeah." He said. I shrugged.

"Whatever." Kisame walked up and told the rules of the match. They were the same as any other place, you keep going until one person isn't able to continue. Diedara and I both agreed then turned to each other.

His hand reached for his clay and I narrowed my eyes as I waited to see what he would do.

The hand came out and opened to show me a small bird. He threw it up in the air and it took off, dive bombing me. I did a back flip out of the way then when I realized it was made to just keep attacking I stood my ground for the next dive. There it went. I waited until the last moment to reach for my katana and slice the bird in half.

To the others it would have looked like the sword had just appeared in my hand and the bird had just fallen apart. They didn't see any movement.

I sheathed my blade and looked once again at my opponent. He was once again reaching for his clay, my voice stopped him.

"Uh uh. It's my turn now." I said in an obviously fake, cheery way. I bit down on my thumb and slammed my hand into the ground.

"_Kuchiyose no Justu_!" I yelled. In a cloud of smoke a large white wolf appeared next to me. I smirked. The summoning had worked.

The wolf god looked at me.

"Sakura. Why did you not call on one of my pups? You know the price for calling me, don't you?" She spoke in her deep, but still feminine voice.

"Yes, Moro. I do know the price. You told me many years ago, when I first signed our contract in my blood. But you see Moro, the people here wish to see what I can do, so I wish to show them, not the full extent of my power, but some of it." I told her.

She chuckled.

"Which one is your opponent?" I pointed to Diedara who stood somewhat stupefied.

"I see. Well then, lets show them what we can do." She always said everything so calmly.

I nodded.

"Combine!" We both shouted the word. Our bodies started to join, as my nails grew long and claw like, my hair turned white and my eyes turned to that of an animal.

You could see the surprise on the faces of those around me, but I didn't really care. I focused in on Diedara and charged.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Yay! Another chapter. Okay, I got the idea of Moro from the anime movie Princess Mononoke. If any of you have seen it then you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't... GO WATCH IT!! Seriously, it's an awesome movie. If you like Naruto, you'll like Princess Mononke. **

**Anyway, please review. Tell me what you like or don't like about it. Or, if you find a flaw in my writing then please, tell me. I love to know what I'm doing wrong. So please review. **

**Itachi : "Just because you say please, doesn't mean they'll do it." **

**PureElement : "Yes it does!! I have faith in them."**

**Itachi : "Tch."**

**PureElement : "Don't you 'tch' me!"**

**Itachi : "Tch."**

**PureElement : w_hacks Itachi on head_ "I said don't DO that!"**

**Itachi : _cowers in fear_**

**PureElement : _claps happily at dominance over Itachi_ "Now to go dress punk/goth!"**

**Itachi : 0.0'**

**Both : "Please review!!"**

**Itachi : "Yes! Before she gets angry and kills me!"**

**PureElement : _stares in horror _"I could never kill you, Itachi-kun!!" _glomps _"Tell them."**

**Itachi : _sighs_ "PureElement does not, in anyway, shape or form own Naruto."**

**PureElement : _sobs_ "WHY!!!"**

**Itachi : 0.0' **


	5. Hope

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

I went to land a punch on the Oh! so annoying blonde. He was still standing there, more than a little dazed. How he was able to jump away, I have no idea. I still ended up hitting him though, landing a hard, super strength punch to his gut. 

The little specks of blood he coughed up landed on my face as I stared at his limp form, that lay a distance away from me.

I rubbed my fingers over my cheek, removing it to see the smeared red. Such a beautiful color. I grinned, my lengthened canines showing. I wanted more blood. I wanted more death. I wanted more fear. More power.

I walked over to him and closed my fingers around his throat. I raised my other hand, preparing to stab him with my long nails. I never got my chance though. Kisame jumped in between us wielding his annoying giant sword.

I evaded it gracefully.

"What's the meaning of this!?" I shouted, outraged. "Let me kill him!"

The blue shark man just shook his head.

"Nope. You won against him, now I'm your opponent!" He said maliciously as he attacked. His sword came at me again, I jumped back, allowing it to leave a large dent in the ground

I had landed crouched, ready to spring towards him, or away from him. He looked up at me, when he realized he'd only made contact with the hard packed earth. I smirked at him before examining my fingernails.

They were still clean, damn it! I wanted them dirty and dripping with blood. I felt _that_ part of me start to come out, but I quickly tried stopping it. However, it was useless. Moro sensed the coming danger and started to pull herself out of my body.

When the wolf stood once again at my side, and my features were normal, I let go.

The ice blue flames appeared around me, making a ring as I started to lose control. The ring grew larger and larger as the wind started to pick up.

This is what I was famous, actually, _infamous_, for. My 'Demon Death' technique. This was how I had lost the little bit of warmth I had left.

I made a deal with a demon. When I die, she gets my soul, until then, I have power that rivals even the Kyuubi's.

I can control everything made of matter in this state, in other words, I can control everything. I can use a persons own weapons, and even their own body, against them.

That is what I used against Kisame. I used his own body.

I reached out with both arms and turned my open hands into steel hard fists. The man cried out in pain as I mercilessly crushed the bones in his upper arms, leaving the splinters to dig into the surrounding muscle.

I opened my hands and fisted them again, this time crushing his shins, making him drop to his knees.

He was tough, I'll admit that, allowing himself only an occasional whimper.

He was dragged off the field to be helped as Itachi stepped in.

I knew immediately he was going to try and use his Mangekyou Sharingan on me. I warned him against using it, telling him that I'd ruin his precious eyes if he did. That made him think twice; after seeing what had happened to his comrade.

I could just see the gears turning in his head, trying to think of a way to defeat me. So far, he had nothing.

"That's right, _Itachi-kun_." I purred. "There's no way out of this. There's only one way to stop this state I'm in right now, but it's a suicide move."

His eyes glinted as he came up with a plan. Throwing two kunai at me with that perfect aim Sasuke had told me about, he used the distraction to hide in the forest growth around us.

The metal weapons stopped a couple feet away from me as they starting to twist and buckle.

I heard a "Damn!" from the sidelines and I knew that Diedara had woken up. I decided not to pay him any attention, instead I zoned in on the Uchiha.

"You know, Itachi, you can't hide from me." I said looking right at him, even though he sat behind many feet of coverage.

"Really? Why not?" He inquired, coming out of his hiding spot, seeing as he'd already been found.

"The moment I enter into this state, I control anything made up of any kind of matter. I can control the air, the earth, the water, the metal of weapons, and even your body." I explained. "See?"

I lifted his hand above his head and broke his little finger. Nobody else saw it, but I caught the slight widening of fear in his eyes.

I then broke the next finger, working my way across his hand. He only let out a hiss when I broke his thumb, shattering his bone into a million fragments. It was enough for me. Enough for me to see that he was in pain.

I watched as a crimson droplet fell to the ground. I looked up at his thumb to see a small sliver of bone poking through the skin. I stared into his red eyes, my own green ones searching for feelings I knew he hid.

I found them. The smallest speck of love for his little brother. The tiniest bit of guilt over the cruelty he had shown his family. I smirked. So he wasn't emotionless after all. Maybe there was hope for him. And if there was hope for him, then maybe, just maybe, there was hope for me.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Late that afternoon I sat looking through some scrolls full of forbidden jutsus. So far I'd only found six that I didn't already know. Those ones, I put aside to learn later. There was a soft knock on my door.

"Come in." I called in my low, distracted voice. The hunk of wood opened to reveal Itachi. "Yes?" I asked.

He walked towards me and handed me a glass ball.

"Leader wishes for you to know what is going on in Konoha." H then handed me a scroll. "Here is the jutsu to make it work."

Then he left. I opened the scroll and read through it. It was called the Third Eye Technique and allowed you to see what was happening at the moment just about anywhere.

"Ah," I whispered, understanding. "Just like what the Sondaime used." Placing the glass sphere carefully on my bed I made the two hand signs and said my justu.

Slowly, colors started to leak into the ball, showing me Tsunade's office.

_The fifth hokage was sleeping on her desk, surrounded by her usual bottles of sake. Naruto and Kakashi entered and shook her awake, earning them a lot of yelling._

_Eventually Tsunade stopped and looked at them, asking if they had any more news on Genma's death._

_The two men exchanged glances._

"_Yes and no." Naruto said. The Fifth raised an eyebrow in a questioning way._

"_What's wrong?" She asked. She always could see straight through the blonde._

"_Well, you see Tsunade-sama," This time it was Kakashi that spoke. "no, because we haven't found a trace of the killer. Yes, because we just found out something that's very interesting. Uchiha Itachi hasn't been sighted for a long time, and neither had Sakura. We stopped by at her apartment this morning to find her gone along, with her weapons, her ANBU mask was still there, but it had been crushed."_

_Tsunade looked up sharply at this._

"_You don't think..." Her voice faded off as she started to take in the information given to her. She stood up and made her way towards the door. She gestured for the two Jounin to follow. "Come. Let's go take a look at the body. If Sakura had anything to do with this, I'll know."_

_Together they left the tower and headed for the hospital. They were immediately granted entry into the room that held the dead shinobi's body._

_Tsunade walked up to it, taking in the terrible sight. His skin was pale, almost bluish and littered with dark bruises and gaping stab wounds. She ran a hand over his body, frowning at what appeared. _

_The body was dotted with a light blue color. _

_Naruto's voice broke her concentration. "That justsu, it allows you to see the traces of chakra even when it's disappeared, doesn't it."_

_Tsunade turned to him and Kakashi._

"_Sakura killed him. I want all shinobi, Genin, Chuunin and Jounin in the meeting room in fifteen minutes. Go!" She told them firmly. They left._

_Withing ten minutes everybody was there. That was a plus for being the leader of a ninja village, the people under your command were fast._

"_Alright, I'm terribly sorry for having to disrupt whatever it was you all were doing, but there is something I must inform you of. Haruno Sakura is now an S-class criminal and a missing-nin." The silence that filled the room was crushing. "She killed a fellow Leaf Shinobi, I'm sure you all know of Genma's death. I'm going to send out a recovery party, but I have no way of knowing if they will be able to apprehend her. So, if on a mission any of you run into her, try to stop her, but be careful. She's extremely powerful and I'm sure, will have no regrets about killing you. _

"_Now, for the recovery party, I want; Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino. I'm trusting you all to bring Sakura back," She bowed her head for a moment as though fighting to accept what she was about to say. When she looked back up, her jaw was set firmly and stubbornly. "dead or alive."_

As I let go of the jutsu I couldn't help but to laugh. Did she really think that group could stop me? Either she was becoming stupid in her old age or she just didn't actually think that much of me.

I stopped laughing as someone knocked on my door again. I sighed, already knowing who it was.

"What do you want, Itachi?" I growled. He opened my door and leaned against my wall, cradling his injured hand against his chest.

"Leader wants to see you." He whispered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Ta da!!! Another chapter for you all!! Please review. Oh! And I don't own Naruto at all.**

**Sakura : 0.0 "Wow. I'm a cold hearted, evil bitch... AWESOME!!"**

**Itachi : _growls_ "You broke my hand!"**

**Sakura : "Hey don't blame! Blame the writer"**

**PureElement : "Yeah, sorry about that!!" _cowers in fear _"Please don't kill me!!"**

**Genma : "Gaah. I feel like I just got sat on by an elephant!"**

**Sakura : "Hey! You're supposed to be dead!!"**

**Genma : _pats body in wonder _"Am I not?"**

**Sakura : "Don't start going pirate on me!!" _starts chasing him waving a huge katana_**

**Genma : _runs in fear of losing his dear life_**

**PureElement & Itachi : 0.0' "Wow."**

**Itachi : _turns to PureElement _"Wanna go get dinner?"**

**PureElement : "Sure. But you're paying."**

**Itachi : 0.0 "God damn it!!"**


	6. Those Who Love, Are Blind

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

Itachi led me to the Leader's room, giving me a strange look before he left me standing in front of the darkly stained door. I knocked gently.

"Come in, Sakura- san." Came the chilly and commanding voice.

I quietly entered the room, closing the door behind me. I waited, standing there, until he called me closer. I approached the shadowy figure, making sure that I stopped a respectful distance away.

"Leader-sama." I greeted as I bowed.

"Sakura-san, please sit." I did as he requested. "I wish to speak to you, Haruno, on a matter of great importance.

"I saw that power of your's and I must say; I was impressed. You see, you and I are very much alike. I too made a deal with a demon. I too am cursed to live my afterlife in servitude. I too did it for power after being forgotten by those I loved." He explained.

I nodded, showing him that I understood. However, one thing puzzled me.

"Leader-sama, with all due respect; how did you know of my deal? I never mentioned it." I stated. He chuckled.

"There are somethings I just know, Sakura-chan." He said simply.

"Sakura-_chan_?" I asked.

"Yes. You see, I'm not going to live that much longer. A long term poison I was forced to take once is starting to take it's affect. I have been searching for a successor for a while now, but I couldn't find anyone I liked, until I found you.

"I've been watching you for a while now, and I've been very happy with what you've shown. You have the right attitude and power needed. And you don't give a shit about anything unless it gets in your way or helps you out." He told me.

I laughed out loud. The dark sound bouncing off the empty walls to fill the chamber with it's echo.

"You expect me to believe this?" I asked.

He nodded his confirmation.

"From now on you are my adopted daughter, my second in command, my prodigy and my successor."

I nearly fell over in shock, but was able to keep my body upright. Quickly I ran everything over in my head.

Oh yes, this was definitely in my favor.

"Hai, Otou-san." I grinned as I spoke. I couldn't see his face, but I sensed that he smiled as well.

"So tell me, my daughter, did you find out what your old village is doing?" He inquired.

"Well, Tsunade has sent a recovery team of six after me. It includes my two close friends Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino, my former boyfriend Hyuuga Neji, a couple of not so close friends, Hyuuga Hinata and Nara Shikamaru and of course my old sensei, Hatake Kakashi." I informed him.

"Hmm, it seems as though Tsunade is growing stupid in her old age." He laughed.

"That's what I thought. To only send those six. Yes, they may have known my weaknesses, but my weaknesses have changed. Plus I know all of theirs." I said smirking.

"Yes. Yes. You do. Now I want you to take Itachi, Kisame and Diedara and meet them a couple days away from here. I don't want them getting into our territory. Is that understood?" He ordered.

I bowed sharply.

"Hai!"

"Good. Now I'll call the others in and inform them of the news."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Sakura-sama, why are we waiting? Can't we just go and confront them?" Diedara whined. Itachi scowled at him.

"_Baka_, you need to learn patience. Especially when dealing with these guys. They are no match for me, but _you_ really shouldn't underestimate them. Make no mistake, they're strong." I explained. One of my chakra nets went off, alerting me to their presence. "They're here. Kisame, would you call in the mist for a little while please?"

"Hai! Sakura-sama!"

Soon we were enveloped in a thick mist, as we waited for our opponents to come. A couple minutes later I felt them close enough that they would soon see us. We circled around them, boxing them in like livestock. Flashing a sign for Kisame to drop the mist, I sent out three kunai, even though I knew Neji would deflect them.

Soon we were able to see each other.

"Yo." I said.

"Sakura-chan." I heard Neji whisper.

"Sakura! What are you doing with them?! Come back to Konoha with us, quickly!" Naruto yelled at me.

"No." Naruto looked startled at my answer.

"W-what?" He stutterd. I smirked.

"No." I said again, more forceful this time. Then, Kakashi decided to step in.

"Haruno Sakura, you have been convicted of the following crimes, murder, treason and belonging to a criminal organization. We have been ordered to return you to Konoha to stand trials for these crimes, the punishment for two of which is death. We have also been given the freedom to kill you if you resist. So which way will you go back, Sakura? Dead or alive?" He said firmly, just like he would for anyone else.

I pretended to think, tapping my chin as I did so.

"Hmm, hard choice." My eyes narrowed. "I choose... neither."

"_Nani_?" I recognized Shikamaru's voice. He stepped forward, coming closer.

"I'm terribly sorry," My voice stopped him mid-step. "we can't allow you any farther than you are now.

"Itachi-san! Do it." I ordered.

"Hai." He said as he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, capturing Ino and Hinata in the mental torture. A couple seconds later they dropped, their bodies shaking in pain and fear.

Naruto ran towards the fallen Hyuuga.

"Hinata!" He cried, gathering her into his arms.

"Aww, isn't that _touching_? So you two are finally together?" I asked, sneering maliciously. Naruto glared.

"You'll pay for that! You bitch! You not the Sakura I used to know!"

I chuckled.

"Of course. The Sakura you knew died a long time ago.

"Itachi, you take Nara Shikamaru, I know you're power's low, but as long as you're careful, you'll win. Remember, he's good at planning ahead. Kisame and Diedara, you go after Hatake Kakashi. There may be two of you, but he used to me my sensei, I know how strong he is. I will take on Neji and Naruto." I whispered lowly. The three of them nodded. "Go!"

In a flash they moved at their opponents. I stood still as I watched them engage in their battles. Then I made my move.

I used the same thing that I had done Kisame that first morning I disappeared then reappeared behind the two young Jounins.

"Neji, Naruto, I suggest you surrender. You will never win against me." I whispered into their ears, watching with glee as their bodies froze in surprise. Fast as always, Neji spun towards me, attempting to hit me with his Gentle Fist Style. I jumped away.

By now Naruto was trying to attack. I had to admit. He had grown stronger when with that perverted Sannin.

I dodged his kunai, pulling out my own as I sent them flying towards him. He knocked them out of the way with ease, using his shuriken.

Neji saw his opening and kicked me in the stomach, cracking his shin across the hard amour I wore underneath my cloak. That had been a hard kick, he probably had a fracture. Not like I cared.

I ducked a punch from Naruto and blocked Neji's immobilizing hand.

Another fist from the blonde came flying at me, I grabbed it head on and used it to hold him in place while I broke his shoulder with an ax kick. The cracking of the bone was music to my ears as I felt him give way beneath my heel.

He fell to his knees gripping his shoulder tightly. I knew that if I didn't stop him now, he'd push himself and be back up in a couple moments. Once the pain induced nausea was under control. I hit him hard in the stomach and smacked his temple with the handle of my kunai, effectively knocking him out.

A hand hit my neck, cutting off a main flow of chakra. I growled as I whirled to see the pale, once loving face of my ex-boyfriend.

"Don't you know, hon? Your techniques won't work on me. Just like Naruto, I have two chakras." I said sweetly, though the tone was sickening.

He looked into my eyes and I saw that his Byakuugan was activated to the fullest extent.

I smirked as I dodged his Divine Hits, or _whatever _ he called them.

He was panting by the time he was done.

"How did you get away from those?" He whispered hoarsely. I smiled brightly.

"It's a secret. Now, it's time for my new Justu. I'm gonna try it out on you." I said as I brought my hands up to form a single sign. Time stopped around us and the area turned black and red. The leaves and branches on the trees moved in a wind that we couldn't feel.

I walked towards him, the grass turning to blood beneath my feet.

"Welcome, Neji, to my Crimson Hell."

**whistles Wow, Sakura's pretty cold. Cool!! Anyway, sorry for the cliffie. I'll be updating within the next few days so don't worry. Please review!! It'll make my day! Please.**


	7. The Blood of Hatred

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

My ex just stood there dumbly, rooted to the spot. I smirked as I walked up to him and traced my finger from his ear and down his smooth jaw line.

"What do you think of my technique, huh? It's a genjutsu that I based off Itachi's Mangekyou, of course I put my own unique twists into it." I whispered as my finger slid lower enjoying his shiver of fear. Stopping at his pulse, I dug my nail into it.

"Why? Why are you doing this? I loved you Sakura. I was willing to live with you for the rest of my life! But, after you parents died, you closed yourself off from everyone; from me." He cried.

"Tsk tsk. Neji, that didn't sound at all like anything _you_ would say. I guess the jutsu's already taking it's affect." I laughed lowly.

"I used to love you, Sakura. But now, I can't help hating you." He said.

I sneered as I knocked him to the ground and set my foot on his throat, enjoying his gasps fully, as his air was cut off.

"Ahh, but such is the way of the world. Besides, you know that you can't hate me. Dear, dear Neji; I was your first kiss, your first love, the first person you fully confided in. You can't hate me, you're incapable of it." I hissed adding more pressure with my foot. He grimaced. My foot let up and he coughed and hacked away, desperate for air, even though it burnt his throat to breath.

After a moment he finally stumbled to his feet, but when he tried to move he found himself bound to the ground with the jutsu.

I calmly walked up to him and punched him in the stomach with force. I did it again. And again. He coughed up blood and it dripped from the corners of his mouth.

I ran my hand down his arm until I my thumb met the main blood vessel in his wrist. I ran my fingers over it, pouring my chakra into him as I did so. The chakra ran up his limb coursed through his blood hotly, giving him the sensation of being burned alive.

His cries were so delicious.

"Look beneath you, Neji." I whispered into his ear. He did so. The illusion would be one of horror to him, I myself couldn't see it as I was the one that created it, but I knew how bad it was.

He would see himself sinking into a pool of his own blood, while constantly bombarded with accusations from his dead loved ones. Then he'd drown in the warm liquid as it rushed down his throat to fill his lungs.

He fell unconscious at my feet. I released the illusion and looked down at the beaten Jounin. The wounds he'd received were real enough. You could clearly see the markings. Now to finish him off.

I looked around me to see that the others were done, having defeated their opponents as well. They were still conscious and Naruto was starting to wake up.

I smiled dangerously, an idea forming in my mind.

I reached over my shoulder to grasp the cold hilt of my katana. I unsheathed it slowly, causing it to hiss menacingly.

"I'm going to show you, that I mean serious business." I said lightly with icy undertones. Before anyone could react, I swung the blade in my hand towards the helpless man's neck. In a quick cut I severed it, killing him instantly.

The blood rushed out to meet the ground and stain my feet. I paid no mind towards the crimson stuff. Instead I sheathed my sword once again and bent down to pick up Neji's head, holding it up by his long black locks.

"Here ya go. Take that back to Tsunade and Konoha. It might just get the message through." I said, tossing it to Kakashi, who caught it, but instantly dropped it.

"Who are you?" Naruto whispered. "Neji was your boyfriend! You almost fucking got married!" By the end he was yelling.

"Shut up the hell up, you little brat! Before I fucking decide to kill you too." I hissed angrily. He was starting to really get on my nerves. "As for your first question, I'm Akatsuki Sakura. I'm the Leader's adopted daughter and successor, as well as his second in command." I turned to my group.

"Let's go, they're in no shape to follow. Besides they must return to Konoha and tell the Hyuuga's of their beloved Neji-kun's death." I mocked the shinobi's in front of us, earning me dark glares.

"Someday Sakura, I promise, I swear, I'll kill you for what you did to my friend." Naruto growled.

I bent down to look into his eyes, boring into them with my hard, unforgiving, merciless ones. He recoiled a bit. Then I grinned, showing all of my teeth in a dangerous and animal like way.

Then I dipped my fingers in the blood underneath Neji's head and drew them along the blonde's cheek, leaving three, bright red, parallel lines. He shivered and I playfully gave his other cheek a pat.

"I look forward to it." I breathed in deeply, the metallic smell of blood clogging my senses, before turning away from my old comrades. "Let's go." I ordered my new group.

"Hai." They started off into the forest.

I started to follow, but paused.

"Oh, and could you give Tsunade the message that if she sends anyone else after us, they'll get a fate much worse than Neji's." I said, not even bothering to turn around.

Then I too disappeared into the thick foliage.

**Sorry, this is such a short chapter, but I decided that you guys didn't deserve to kept waiting. Since you've been so good about reading and reviewing. So yeah, this chapter was where I initiated the blood, and there's more to come. ****shivers Sometimes being a writer is horrible, you have to imagine things that you don't really want to imagine. **

**Please tell me if you like it!!!**

**P.S. I apoligize about any spelling or grammar errors, but this was writtin at midnight, and I really need to get to bed. However I did go through it lightly. **


	8. Teardrops

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

_I looked around myself, taking in the foreign surroundings. I stood in sand. Never ending sand. The sun beat down on me, from it's high position in the sky._

"_Where the hell am I?" I whispered. I glanced around again, but saw nothing. Waves of heat rose off the ground, creating an ever-moving picture. _

_I immediately knew that I had to do something; move and find water. It was that or die. Of course i could very well die while walking as well._

_Hesitantly, I placed my bare foot on the sand in front of me. The hot grains burned the skin and I hissed. _

_I started to walk quickly, not allowing my feet to touch the ground long enough to feel pain. Within minutes I was growing tired in the intense heat. _

_Steeling myself against my fatigue, I noticed a dark figure approaching me. It was a shadow. Just an outline of a shrouded human. If so, then why did my instincts tell me this thing was important. _

_I ran up to it. Placing myself in it's path, trying to force it to stop. It turned and just moved around me. _

_Something caught my eye and I looked down The figure had left a dark red trail. Bending down I ran my fingers over it then sniffed them._

_Blood. Most definitely blood. _

_My gaze returned to the shadow, and something sparked inside me. I knew this person, of that I was sure. But who was it?_

"_Itachi?" The word left my lips, before I could stop it. The figure halted and the darkness that covered it started to fall away. _

_The familiar Akatsuki cloak showed itself. _

_Once again I ran up to the person, this time, instead of seeing shadow, I saw the face of Uchiha Itachi. _

_Except, his eyes... his eyes were... different. They were so dull, so lifeless, so blank._

"_Sakura?" Came his raspy voice. It had changed as well, it seemed older, more weary and it made him sound vulnerable. "Is that you?"_

_I nodded vigorously._

"_Yes. Yes. Why did you ask? Don't you remember me?" The words kept spilling out. It was as though I had no control. Why was I saying this stuff? It wasn't like me at all!_

_Itachi reached out a hand for me, fumbling a bit before he finally rested it on my shoulder._

"_Sakura." He breathed. "Help me, Sakura." _

_That simple sentence shocked me to the core. _

_How could such a powerful man; the Uchiha prodigy, a member of Akatsuki, a S-class criminal be asking for help? _

_My eyes found his once more, and then it hit me. He was blind. He'd over used his sharingan and was now paying the price._

_He tried taking a step towards me, but stumbled and landed in my arms. He coughed and little blood dripped from his mouth._

_I gasped. Something wasn't right._

_Quickly I tore off his cloak, only to find numerous open and infested wounds littering is body. I placed my hand on his arm, running my fingers gently over particularly nasty cut. It was partially scabbed over, but still oozed an extremely thin blood._

_I looked at the man in my arms, knowing I would not be able to save him._

_He disappeared and the sun vanished, leaving me in un-telling darkness. A face started to form in front of me and I found myself looking into Naruto's deep sapphire eyes._

"_You traitor." He hissed. "You ugly bitch. You betrayed us, you're friends. You killed a man you loved. You are willing to kill more. You are a monster to us. A monster to be killed!"_

_A hand appeared as well, kunai held tightly in it's grip. With a snarl on his face, Naruto stabbed me. The weapon dug deep into my heart. I felt the warmness as blood rushed up my throat to spill from between my lips._

_My vision started to blur in the corners and grow dark. The more I started to slip from life, the more I focused on Naruto's face. His eyes were steel and held no regret. _

"_Na-ru-to-kun." I managed somehow to get his name out. He just scowled and twisted the kunai in my body, causing me to howl in pain._

"_Don't you _ever_ speak my name! You don't deserve it." He pulled the kunai out and I looked down to the blood flow freely from the hole in my chest. "Die." He commanded hissing._

_Then the darkness took over and I started to fall._

I jerked awake, panting breathlessly. I wrapped my arms around myself and found that I was soaked with cold sweat. Sitting up, I grimaced. My chest hurt badly. It was as though the dream had actually happened.

"So you're awake I see." A deep voice came from the shadowed corners of my room. Someone stepped forward and my ears perked up. The footsteps were familiar.

"Itachi! You're alive!" I cried, launching myself at his form. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt leaned into his muscled chest.

I inhaled deeply. He smelled so good. Like cinnamon, black cherries, and need I say it; blood.

His hands quickly found my shoulders and pushed me away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked. I snapped back to reality.

He was right. What _was_ I doing? I'm supposed to be cold hearted, uncaring, unforgiving. I made myself like that again. Leaving the worried, hugging, crying Sakura behind, just as I had done before.

"I think the question is, what the fuck are you doing in my room?" I countered.

"You screamed and I wanted to know why. When I came in here, you looked like you were having a bad nightmare. You're sheets were all twisted around you and you were thrashing wildly." He told me.

"Really?" He nodded. I massaged my temples. "Fuck."

He leaned down to me, a slightly evil look on his face.

"I'd love to fuck you. But I don't think you're _father_ would be to happy with me if I did." He whispered into my ear. He then placed a kiss right under it, smirking as I gave an involuntary shiver.

Then, he just turned around and walked out, closing the door soundly behind him.

It took a moment for the whole thing to register in my mind. When it finally did, I was livid.

I grabbed the kunai that lay under my pillow and flung it with all my might into the door, where it embedded itself to the hilt.

"Itachi, you goddamn bastard!" I yelled, not caring if I disrupted anyone else's sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning found me in a very sour mood. I woke up, washed and got dressed.

As I walked past the dining room I ignored Diedara's calls for me to come and eat breakfast. When he realized that I was ignoring him, he got pissed and attempted to block my way.

"Sakura-sama, you have to eat something, yeah. The last time I saw you eat was a day ago and it was only a small helping of miso soup. Come on, eat." He urged. I glared at him.

"Move." I whispered, making it very clear that if he didn't, I would force him to. He stood his ground and took my stare. Idiot. It's true what people say about there being a thin line between bravery and stupidity. Diedara had crossed that line.

"No, I'm not moving. I'm not moving. Not until you go and eat." He said stubbornly.

I chuckled. Using a trick Tsunade tought me, I flicked his forehead. The blonde went flying through the thin, paper door that he blocked. I could hear the other Akatsuki members snickering.

I walked over to where man had landed and crouched down next to him.

"Just because you don't _see_ me eat, doesn't mean I don't eat." I said to him. As if to prove my point, I slipped a ball of sticky rice out of my sleeve and bit into it. His eyes widened in comprehension. "The life of a ninja is a secret one. Don't forget that Diedara-san."

He nodded vigorously and I smiled, patting him on the head as I did so. Then I stood and left.

I made my way out to the gardens and settled myself beside the koi pond. Pinching off a bit of rice from the lump in my hand, I tossed it into the water.

The fish came up and snatched greedily at the grains. The bright morning sun glinted of their scales and the water causing a beautiful sparkle. I took a breath and smelled the strong scent of plum blossoms of the trees that surrounded the pond.

I smiled and laid down on the bench I was seated at. The stone was still cold from the chilly night and I shivered as it went through my thin shirt.

Soon enough, my thoughts drifted to Itachi. Why did he do that last night? Was he attracted to me in any way? The tips of my fingers found the spot he had kissed and trailed down my neck, coming in contact with a strong leather cord.

They slid along it until they met the pendant that hung from it. I took hold of it and pulled it up into my line of vision.

It was a small piece of jade, shaped like a teardrop with a winding dragon carved into it's surface.

It had been a gift from Neji on my eighteenth birthday. He'd had it custom made and had chosen that particular piece of jade because he said it matched my eyes.

I gave little smile and the tender memory then frowned. Neji was dead and I was the one who had killed him.

My eyes started to narrow as I remembered why I had killed him. He was part of Konoha and Konoha hated me. Konoha feared me and they were right to. I was going to kill every single one of them.

And for every one I killed, I would place a teardrop tattoo on my right arm.

I stood up and headed back inside. I had already killed two.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Ta da!!! Sorry this took so long, but my mother was gone for a week and a half, leaving me with much more chores and then I had a karate review I had to go to. But I have it now! **

**What I was trying to get at in this chapter is that Sakura does still have feeling and a conscience, she just shuts them down and refuses to feel anything. Next chapter tells us why Konoha hates her so much. Thanks soo much for the reviews!! They mean so much to me.**

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**PureElement **


	9. In Hell It waits

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

I put the needle down, placing it gently on the floor beside me. Blindly I reached for the bottle of ink. My fingertips brushed it and I grabbed it. 

Carefully I poured a couple drops over my new bleeding wounds and rubbed it into them. After a few moments I added a few more drops and rubbed them in as well then carefully took a piece of cloth and dabbed away at any extra black liquid.

I looked down to the top of my wrist and stared at my new tattoos. Two teardrops, the beginning of many.

I smiled bitterly, remembering why I was doing this. It was all because of that damned day. The day I gave away the only lasting piece of my humanity.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_I groaned loudly, smashing the already damaged alarm clock into pieces. I most definitely did not want to get up. I wanted to stay in bed and sleep. But no, I had training. _

_Growling lowly I slid out from under my covers and stumbled in the direction of the kitchen. I put some water on the stove to boil and took out some of my favorite instant coffee._

_As soon as I'd had my wake up drink, I rushed to the shower. I had gotten back from a mission last night, and I'd been so tired that I just fell onto my bed and went to sleep, not bothering to clean up._

_I stepped into the shower and turned it on. The warm water felt so good rushing down my skin, washing away blood and dirt. I watched as the tainted water disappeared down the drain. _

_I finished quickly and got dressed. As I walked out the door I stopped and found myself staring at my reflection. _

_My eyes were bloodshot and weary. The spring green held no sparkle. It hadn't since my parents died. My pink hair hung limply down my shoulders and back to stop abruptly at my waist. I'd stopped cutting it at sixteen._

_Dark circles outlined my eyes, hinting at a lack of sleep. I smirked humorlessly. I looked almost as bad as Gaara when we were at our first Chuunin exams._

_I left my apartment and started down the street that lead to my favorite training area. It didn't take me long to arrive, only about five minutes or so. _

_I noticed that the training group was already there and were standing huddled while talking in whispers. I walked up to them._

"_Are we here to train or to gossip?" I asked sharply. Everyone straitened up and turned towards me. Shikamaru gave me a guilty look and apologized, saying that he wouldn't be able to stay, he had some duties to take care of. Ino backed out as well. One by one they all disappeared, until only Kakashi and Naruto were left. I looked at them expectantly. _

_My former sensei scratched the back of his neck in an irritating way._

"Gomen_, Sakura, but I have a mission." He took off, not even bothering to hear my response. Not that I had one. Was everybody blowing me off?_

_I gave Naruto a look._

"_Well?" I asked. _

"_Well, what?" He said surprised at my cold tone._

"_Aren't you going to go as well? I'm sure you have other things to do." I spoke curtly. His eyes grew sad then cold._

"_Actually Sakura, I do. I must be leaving." Then he too left me. I glared at the spot where he had stood and swore loudly._

_I started to punch the padded logs, not with my amazing strength, just normal. Slowly I started to add chakra until I was at my maximum power. At which the log flew apart in a flurry of wooden shrapnel. I scowled then move onto another. By the time I'd destroyed all the logs and quite a few trees I noticed the sun was starting to set._

_I started to walk back home. As I turned a right onto my street a familiar building caught my eye. The local bar. I moved towards it, my feet seeming to move with no command at all. _

_This was the place that Tsunade loved to get her _sake_ from, she said it was the best in town. Well this time I wasn't getting _sake_ for the Hokage, I was getting it for myself. _

_I entered the place and nearly choked on the thick cigarette smoke. Was everyone there smoking? I walked up to the counter and ordered two bottles of _sake

_The bartender gave them to me and told me the price. It was steep, but I paid it fully. Grabbing the bottles by the necks I stalked outside, thankful for the fresh air that filled my lungs. _

_Grinning I took my liquor to my 'special place'. It was natural pond behind training area 6. Beside it stood a proud Japanese Maple. I took a seat beneath it's dark red leaves and popped the cork out of one of the bottles. _

_I brought the container to my lips and let the liquid pour out and into my mouth. Savoring the taste, I swallowed the bittersweet stuff. I sighed in contentment. Now I knew why Tsunade drank so damn much. _

_A chuckle turned into a laugh and laughing turned to crying. _

_The tears burned my cold cheeks as they spilled from my eyes. I sobbed, unable to control them._

_I'd lost my friends, my sensei, my love. They left me to stand in the dark alone, not realizing that the dark terrified me. _

_I took another swallow from the glass bottle in my hand, then another and another. Soon it was empty. It didn't bother me though, I had another._

_I had gotten halfway through that one when deep, rough voice spoke to me._

"_Sakura-chan, what is you want?" It asked. Being absolutely drunk I didn't recognize the danger._

"_I don't know." I answered, my voice surprisingly clear and understandable._

"_Oh, but _I_ do. Sakura-chan, you want power. You want to kill those who ignore you when you suffer. Hmm? Don't you?" The voice said slyly. _

_I thought about before coming up with an answer. _

"_Who are you?" I asked bluntly and in a somewhat stupid way. The voice chuckled._

"_Here, why don't I show you." A tall, beautiful woman stepped out of the shadows. Night had fallen._

_The lady wore a traditional black _kimono_, with golden bamboo stalks that seemed to grow from the bottom. Her hair was gathered elegantly on top of her head in an intricate bun, held in place by two carved jade pins._

_I gaped in awe. She was perfect. Her face, her body, her hair; everything was perfect! _

"_Wow." I whispered. She laughed, her voice ringing like temple chimes._

"_I've come to make a deal with you, Sakura-chan. I'm willing to give you power. I'm willing to give you everything you need for your vengeance. But in return, you must give yourself over to me, the moment you die and serve me for eternity." She told me. Her voice was so different than when she laughed. When she laughed it was pleasant and warm, like any normal woman's. But, when she spoke it was deep and low, almost like that of a man's._

_My mind worked out what she was telling me slowly. She could give me power. She could help me. A smile started to creep it's way onto my face. Slowly a need to kill started to fill me. I wanted to kill everyone who had ignored me. Everyone who refused to help me. Everyone in that fucking stupid village._

_I nodded, coming to my decision quickly. _

"_I'll do it." My voice was full of determination and hate. She smirked and approached me to place a finger on my forehead. Pain surged through me as I felt the foreign energy enter my body. _

_I stared, my eyes fixated on the woman in front of me, as I watched her change. Her canines lengthened and her pupils and irises disappeared, leaving pure bloodshot white. Her shimmering black hair turned a deep blood red and fell out of it's perfect style. _

_Then she vanished. _

_I collapsed as a wave of pain took over. On my knees, I hugged myself, gripping my arms tightly in my hands. Another wave, worse than the last. I screamed. It felt like my body was on fire. Being burnt away, little by little. I nearly expected to smell the foul stench of burning flesh._

_My vision blurred and my hands slipped to hang loosely at my sides. Slowly, I toppled over, unable to hold myself up any longer. _

_As my eyes closed I could see three ANBU standing over me. Their masks covered their faces and any emotions, but their eyes were cold. The last thing I remember was seeing a blue pair, before I surrendered to the darkness that surrounded me._

_I woke many days later in a hospital bed. My eyes cracked open to reveal the deathly white ceiling. A pain shot through my heart and I tried to move my hand to it. My hand didn't respond. It just sat there, unwilling to even twitch._

"_Ah you're awake, I see." I shifted my eyes over to the door. It seem that they were the only thing I could move. There stood Tsunade, leaning in the doorway. She walked over and grabbed my wrist._

_Slowly, almost hesitantly, she started to massage my arm. The limb tingled as feeling returned to it. She did this to all the main parts of my body. Soon I was able to move._

_Another pain in my heart and I was able to clutch my chest this time. As soon as it disappeared I was staring at my hand. There was a mark on it._

_A circle divided into four surrounded by strange spell that wrapped around it then continued up my arm. In my head I recited what it said._

In Hell It waits

In Darkness It sleeps

But I am It's master

For me It wakes

I summon

the Demon of Death

_I shivered. The spell was a dark one. I stared up into my _shishou's_ eyes. _

"_What happened?" I asked quietly. Tsunade's eyes bored into my own._

"_You made a deal with a demon, Sakura." _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Yes, that was the day it happened. The day I gave it all up. Gave up my one last chance to be normal and happy.

The mark had stayed there for the rest of the day. That night I learned that with simple commands, I could either hide it or make it visible. I chose to hide until I was ready to use it.

Then as I sat there on my floor, I got a sudden urge to see it once again. I brought my left hand up.

"Show." I gave the command in a low voice.

A golden red color started to move through the skin, as the familiar design appeared. I stared at it. For some odd reason, I had no wish to bury it beneath my flesh ever again. But I still had no desire for people to know it existed, so instead I wrapped my hand in white bandages, much like Neji used to do.

A moment later, I felt Itatchi's presence outside my door.

"Yes, Itatchi?" I asked. The door opened and there stood the cold, stoic Uchiha.

"We have a mission." He told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" My voice held no obvious interest.

"We're going after the Kyuubi." He smirked.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**  
**

**Oooooh!! They're going to go after Naruto!! How will that turn out? I'm sorry if the spell is a little corny, but it's all I could come up with. I don't have much to say right now so I guess I have to do the normal.**

**Please review!!! I'll be very grateful. Seriously though, your reviews make my day!! **

**PureElement**

**P.S. Don't be afraid to give me constructive criticism. But I don't want any of that crap, that says 'Boo, this story's a fucking piece of shit!' Lucky me, I have never had anybody give that kinda review.**

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	10. Enter Aia

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

I smiled.

"Are we now?" I tilted my head up to gaze at the ceiling. "That's absolutely great." I was grinning like a mad woman and I knew it. Itachi gave me a wary look.

"Leader wants you in his chambers. He wants to brief you." He said. I nodded and pulled myself up off the floor, using the post from my bed. I was tired for some reason.

Itachi looked at me suspiciously as I took a step and stumbled, collapsing onto my knees and hitting them hard against the wood floor. I grimaced, that was going to leave a nasty bruise.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. I shook my head slowly.

"I don't know." I whispered. Pain swallowed my stomach and chest and I took a sharp breath through clenched teeth.

My eyes closed tightly as the pain worsened. It felt like I was having three kunai shoved into my torso. A hand ghosted over my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Itachi's red ones. He squatted down in front of me.

"Sakura, what's going on? What's wrong?" As he spoke the pain started to leave. My chest became lighter and my breathing became easier. Soon it all vanished. I stood up and realized that Itachi was staring at me in slight surprise.

"Look, I have absolutely no idea what the hell that was about. Now leave." I snapped. He nodded and left. I frowned in his direction before heading to see my 'father'.

I knocked politely before entering the dark chamber. In the past few weeks, he and I had become fairly close. We were probably the only person that the other one cared for. Though we decided at the beginning of our strange relationship that we would always put our work above each other.

Over the next few minutes I learned that I would be going out with Kisame and Itachi. We would not be going into the village, but attacking them while they were beginning a mission. I frowned at this.

If they were on a mission then they would be fully alert to attacks. I told Otou-san this.

He laughed and told me it wasn't a dangerous mission, well at least not the traveling. They were trying to get Sasuke, _again_. Could they not just realize that damned bastard was not coming back?

For some reason Orochimaru had not taken over Sasuke's body yet. Why? Nobody had any idea. But everybody just kept trying to bring him back. The thought made me laugh.

They kept believing in him, but the moment _I_ betray them, they all want to kill me. Funny how people think isn't it?

The next morning we left. It was early and the dew was fresh and sparkling in the beginning light.

The beautiful sight relaxed me somewhat. I was still tense from the incident the day before. I let out a sigh and took a deep breath. I turned to my team and gave a cold smile.

"Alright, let's go. We're going to need to hurry if we want to intercept them before the reach the Sound Village." The three of us jumped into the trees and started out towards our prey, swiftly jumping limb to limb in the forest canopy.

We stopped that night for a small rest. All we needed to do was eat something substantial and get some sleep. True, we could go without it, but it could weaken us. Hunger and sleep deprivation puts strain on the muscles and chakra system.

I wasn't to worried about my muscles weakening, but I definitely wasn't going to test my limits with my chakra. Even though I was quite good with taijutsu, I still preferred to trap someone in a genjutsu and mentally torture them till they go insane. The thought made me smile and I just itched to cast one of my beautiful illusions.

I wanted to hear the screams again. The cries for mercy. To see the horror in their eyes as I stab them and kill their precious people. As they watch their own blood pool beneath them.

Kisame's voice shook me out of my daydream.

"Sakura-sama, you have a lot of killing intent radiating off of your body. Is there someone you plan to killing on this mission?" He asked. I blinked. What a stupid question! I turned towards him and grinned my maniac smile.

"Of course Fishy," His eyes narrowed at his hated nickname. "I plan on killing everyone there. Of course I won't be able to kill Naruto, but he'll die anyway after we extract the Kyuubi. Actually, I plan on killing everyone from my village. Everyone who left me alone to die in the darkness. Everyone who ignored me when I cried out for their help.

"After I made that decision," I looked up at the stars that shone brightly above us through the leaves. "after I made that deal... Everyone hated me. They kept me around as a tool to use when needed. I only received S-class and once in a while, A-class missions. The missions nobody else wanted to take. The suicide missions.

"But now, I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill each and every one of them. No matter how long it takes me; I'm going to destroy them." I whispered and lowered one of my fingers to a rock. I tapped it and blew apart. The shards flew at me and bit my cheeks, leaving a sting behind.

I looked over at my teammates and noticed how their eyes were transfixed on my head. I groaned. I knew what they were looking at. My hand reached back, grasped a few locks of my hair and brought it into my line of vision.

Yup, my suspicions were confirmed. My hair was blood red. During my passionate speech, I'd lost a bit of my control over my demon chakra. For every bit of control I lost, one aspect of my appearance changed. When I lost all control, I took on the demoness' full form.

I sighed and decided not to bother explaining this to them, as they didn't know of my deal with the lady demon. Instead, I told them not to stick their noses in the business of other's.

With that said, we sat down and ate our simple meal of fish and rice.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In a few hours we were on th move again. All of us were re-energized and my hair was back to normal. Itachi soon stopped, causing Kisame and me to come a halt as well.

"I sense their chakra." He told me. I nodded and sent our my chakra nets. If anyone was within a one mile radius, I would know it. Sure enough, there stood Kakashi, Naruto and someone whom I did not recognize. From the way they stood and acted, they were resting.

I repeated my findings to Itachi and Kisame. They looked at me for their orders. Normally they would just do things the way they thought was best, but when I was there, it was a different story.

"Alright, let's get them now. We're not going to get them at a better time." I said. They nodded and we left, preparing ourselves for the coming struggle.

Within a few minutes we entered the clearing they stood in.

Kakashi and the stranger jumped up, Naruto was asleep and did not awaken.

"You!" Kakashi said getting into a fighting stance. I chuckled.

"Me. What of it?" I asked as I too went into my stance.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly, as if I was never his student. As if we never cared for the other, but were always enemies.

My gaze slid to the snoozing demon container and Kakashi's eyes followed. I looked backed at him and raised my eyebrow as if to say 'Isn't it obvious?'.

In response he narrowed his visible eye and started to bring his forehead protector up, revealing his Sharingan. I sighed.

"I see you want to fight. Oh well, you'll be dead either way." I spoke quietly and calmly. I turned from him and looked at the stranger. "I see you have a new teammate."

The person was a young woman with midnight hair and glazed blue eyes. Those eyes... She was blind!

Even if she couldn't see, there was no doubt in my mind that the girl was good, if she was teamed up with the likes of Naruto and Kakashi.

I stifled a slight gasp as she turned her unseeing gaze upon me. The way she looked at me, I was almost sure she could see me.

"So you're the traitorous Haruno Sakura, I've heard all about." Her voice was soft and quiet, yet firm as she spoke. "You're the one who killed Neji-kun. You're the one they speak in hateful whispers about. You're the one everybody fears."

"Everybody there fears me?" I asked although I already knew the answer.

"Yes, you killed two of our best Jounins, one of them was a Hyuuga. The Hyuugas will have nothing to do with fighting Akatsuki anymore. They don't want to deal with you." Her voice remained even, calm and quiet, never wavering.

"Ah. Well then, let me kill some more!" I cried out as I rushed towards her. Before I could reach her an orange and black streak blocked my way, making me jump back a good few meters. I laughed. "Well, it's good to see you up, Nauto-kun."

He stood there facing me in the slight breeze that wove it's way through the trees around us. His glare was cold and he held no sorrow or regret in those azure eyes of his, only hatred. A kunai was gripped firmly in his hand and he brought it up to point at me.

"Itachi, Kisame! Take the other two!" I narrowed my eyes. "This one's mine. Oh, and don't kill them, I would like to do that myself."

They didn't answer, only started their own fights with the Copy Nin and the blind stranger.

My eyes were fixated on Naruto's body and movements. The spiky haired blonde had changed since the time that he and I were still on a team together. He'd grown up and become stronger; and less cocky. He knew his limits, but he didn't quite know mine, that right there was a good reason to be cautious.

He made the first move, flinging the kunai in his fingers at me. I dodged it and reacted by throwing my shuriken. He too dodged the weapon attack and instead used his Kage Bunshin. I smirked and created my own shadow clones. That caught him by surprise, he wasn't expecting me to use the same move.

He got rid of the clones and instead called out a different jutsu.

"_Doton: Yumi Numa_!" He called out. I swore under my breath. I loathed this jutsu. I jumped out of the way as the now swampy ground raced towards me. Landing safely on the branch of a tree I watched my opponent carefully as he looked around for me.

It was obvious that the technique hadn't worked and he retracted the swamp. Perfect. I used the _Shunshin no Jutsu_ to move to the branch of a tree behind him

I jumped down so that both my feet were firmly on the ground, that mad this jutsu a whole lot easier.

"_Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu_." I whispered. I never had been one for yelling out my move. It was just plain stupid if you asked me. Besides, any louder and he would have heard me.

My placement was perfect. I disappeared beneath the earth to grab his ankle and pulled him down as well. I came up, but he stayed, trapped.

A growl escaped my throat as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I heard the foot falls behind me too late. Spinning on the ball of my foot I received a hard punch to my face.

The force caught me by surprise and I fell, unable to keep the shock from my system. Something warm slid down my face and I raised my hand to it. Blood. _My_ blood.

My mind screamed at me. It wasn't supposed to be my blood on my fingers. It wasn't supposed to be me on the ground. It was supposed to be him.

He stalked over to me and grabbed the front of my cloak, hauling me of the ground. Bringing me up to his eye level he stared at me, searching my eyes.

"Why Sakura? Why are you doing this?" He asked. I didn't answer.

Instead I took hold of his wrist and twisted his arm, I slammed my other arm into his now exposed elbow. A sickening crack was heard by both of us and Naruto dropped me.

My body shot up and I kicked him in the gut. He gasped. Looking up at me, I saw the defeat and pain in his eyes. He was going to run.

And he did. He turned around and fled, in a moment he was joined by Kakashi and they left, leaving the girl behind.

"Itatchi, Kisame! Go after them!" I yelled. I didn't bother going after them myself. Both the ninjas were wounded and it shouldn't take that much effort to take them down.

After the two had left in pursuit, I turned back to the unconscious girl behind me. Something drew me towards her, but I didn't know what.

Kneeling next to her, I placed a hand at her temple and searched her body for the reason of her current state. It didn't take me long. Head trauma. Kisame had probably thrown her against a tree or something like that.

I did not remove my hand, but healed the damage done to her. For some odd reason, I felt inclined to save this strange young woman. She had caught my interest.

For fifteen minutes I worked to heal the blow dealt to her brain. Fifteen more minutes I waited for her to wake up.

When she did her eyes fluttered open to stare unseeingly at the sky above us.

"Why did you save me?" She asked in her mouse like voice. She somewhat reminded me of Hinata, only this girl was stronger and firmer. Something told me that if she showed the correct fighting ability, that she'd make an amazing addition to Akatsuki. And even if she didn't pass in battle capability, she'd make a wonderful spy. Nobody ever suspected the timid, weak, blind girl

"I'm curious about you. I want to know about you. And I'll say this now, if you promise to stay with me always, if you're loyal and never lie to me, I'll take care of you. I'll make sure you have a place to sleep, something to eat and clothes to wear." She was hesitant to answer. "I know, it's a lot to take in. You don't have to answer me now. Here, how about you tell me your name."

She nodded slowly.

"Mitarash Aia." She whispered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Whoo hooo! Another chapter! This is great! However, sadly, I won't be able to post for a while. It's going to be a really busy few weeks for me. sigh Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! By the way, no, Sakura is not going soft in saving the girl. Aia is going to have an important role in the story.**

**Jutsu Translation:**

**Shunshin no Jutsu : _Body Flicker Technique_**

**Doton: Yumi Numa : _Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld_**

**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu : _Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique _**

**Pronunciation of Names:**

**Aia – Ai (as in eye) – ya (as in _ya_'ll) I know, lame example**

**P.S. Just to let you know, Sakura is never going to be good again. It's not going to be one of those cliché's where Itachi and Sakura find love in each other and realize how what their doing is wrong. They never go back to Konoha and repent for their sins (as if they could). BLEAAAH!! Sorry, that's just too cliché for me. Sakura and Itachi are evil and they're not going back. **


	11. Healing Eyes That Can See

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

"Mitarash Aia." The girl whispered.

"Aia? What a beautiful name." I said. "Aia-chan, I mean no offense here, but how are you blind and still a ninja?" I asked.

Aia just stared up at the sky for many moments before answering the question.

"I was born blind. For as long as I can remember, I have not been able to see through my eyes. However my clan does have a special kekkei genkai. 'The Piercing Technique' is the name of it. I am able to see with my chakra. It's somewhat like Byakugan. We can spread our chakra out and know everything that's going on around us. Being born blind made it so that my body compensated for my lack of sight by allowing the technique to grow and expand, making it so that I can 'see' everything. My hearing is also excellent.

"When I was six though, their was a sickness in my clan and everybody died. I wasn't there at the time, I was away with my trainers for the month. When we received the message that the Mitarash clan was dying we went back, but I wasn't allowed to see them, in fear that I too would grow ill." She explained then turned her head to the woods, a knowing look on her face. "They're coming back, and they have Kakashi with them, they lost Naruto."

Sure enough, my team came back into the clearing dragging an injured and bloody Kakashi with them. I glared at them.

"You lost Naruto?!" I screamed at them. "You two are total imbeciles!"

"S-sorry, Sakura-sama." Kisame said giving a tiny bow, knowing I was absolutely pissed. I looked at my former sensei in his arms and a grin spread across my face.

"Give him to me." I said, nodding towards his limp body. They laid him down on the grass at my feet. I knelt beside him, before slapping his face hard in an effort to rouse him.

It worked and his eyes fluttered open, before widening in fearful surprise.

"Hi Kakashi." I said sweetly. "You know, I used to idolize you. You were the perfect ninja. You were so powerful. I wanted to be like you. But you never paid me much attention, so instead I went to Tsunade. Then after my parents died and I went into depression, nobody helped me. You didn't, Tsunade didn't, nobody did. And now, I'm going to kill everyone. I've already killed Genma and Neji, now I'm going to kill you."

The fear and hatred that radiated off his beaten body was addicting.

"You're a monster, Sakura. You've become a monster." He spat.

I laughed.

"That's right Kakashi-sensei. I'm a monster." I reached behind me and unsheathed my katana. I pulled it in front of me and watched with glee as it glinted in the sharp sunlight. "I wonder what it's like to die, Kakashi-san... Too bad it's not my turn."

I swung the sharp blade towards his throat, stopping just as it came in contact with the flesh.

There was a flicker of relief in my former teacher's eyes.

"Sakura!" He gasped hoarsely. I smirked then slid the sharp edge along the vulnerable skin, slicing it open.

The blood gushed forth, staining the ground beneath him a dark brown. I watched as it seeped farther and farther. It reached the man's silver hair turning the underside of it red instead.

I narrowed my eyes and kicked the bleeding man in the stomach. Growling, I brought the sword up and plunged it down into his chest, twisting it viciously. His body spasmed and released it's life.

Dipping three fingers into the blood that flowed, I wiped them on his mask covered cheek. That was my mark, whenever I killed someone, I would give them three lines across their cheek.

"I guess it was you turn to die. Don't worry though, soon, everyone in Konoha will be dead as well." I cleaned my sword on his battle torn clothing.

As I looked back up I saw Aia staring at me in a mix of horror, awe and respect. Her gaze slid down Kakashi.

"He's dead." She whispered. "His heart, it's not beating. You killed him. You killed Hatake Kakashi."

I too looked down at the dead man in front of me. His eyes were open and staring in death. The shock and betrayal on his face was still evident.

"Yes, Aia. I did."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Flames licked the ground and trees around us. I clapped slowly as I as approached the panting girl in front of me.

"Very good Aia." I praised her.

Three weeks had passed since the failed mission and I was now training Aia as an assistant and subordinate. As it turned out she was very willing to join us. She never really liked Kakashi, only used him for training and team purposes, so she didn't mind the fact that he was dead.

A few days after we'd returned to base I'd stared to train her in my many jutsus. She was an easy student to teach, quick to catch on and quiet. She did what I told her to do and never questioned me.

Every evening I would meet with Otou-san, and we would discuss what I should teach her next. And as a result of everything, Father and I had grown very fond of the girl. We were like one little twisted family.

"You really thought so?" She asked eagerly. I nodded a slight smile crooking the edges of my mouth. The jutsu I'd just taught her was a _Katon_. A Fire Release. A few hours earlier she'd perfected a _Suiton_ jutsu.

She had become my project, my prodigy. She slept in a room right next to my own and was always by my side. She was my shadow, my tool. She lived on my praise and happiness with her.

I was immediately surprised with her loyalty towards me. The day after our mission Zetsu had bad mouthed me in front of both of us -which was a stupid idea- . Before I could say anything, Aia had jumped to my defense and started yelling at him, accusing him of being unfaithful to Akatsuki and Akatsuki's future leader.

Ever since then, the two hated each other. Everyone else had taken well to the girl, and she had taken well to them. Most of them even thought she would become full rank Akatsuki one day.

Aia's light voice snapped me from my thoughts.

"Shishou, weren't you going to see Itachi today?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yes. In fact, I should be leaving for that. I have something I want to ask him. You may go do whatever you wish for the moment." I said. She bowed and left my presence, probably in search of Deidara.

I walked back into the manor and started down the halls that would lead me to Itachi. Once outside his door, I came to a stop.

I didn't even bother to knock, I just opened the door and let myself in. Closing the door behind me, I stepped into his quiet sanctuary.

"Konichiwa, Sakura-sama." He greeted me.

"Konichiwa." I studied him closely. His eyes seemed slightly glazed and he blinked often.

"You wished to speak to me?" He asked.

"Yes, Itachi-san, I did. I know you're going blind Itachi." I whispered. He looked at me in surprise. "But, I want you to know that I can help. I have a theory. You see when the Sharingan is on, it rushes mass amounts of chakra to your eyes. After much use, the chakra starts to burn away at the nerves in your eye, causing you blindness. This plus your use of the Mangekyou Sharingan, has caused your eyesight to leave you much sooner than it should.

"However, I can heal the nerves and sensors in you eyes. I can give you your sight back. What do you say?" I explained. The shock in his eyes was evident.

"How do you know all this?" He inquired.

"Because, I was the top medic-nin in Konoha before I left. I studied Kakashi's Sharingan when he started to have severe migraines. I figured out the basics of how it works. I healed Kakashi's eye and he does fine with it."

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Alright." He gave in. I smiled.

"Good, because you don't have choice." I chuckled. It was true though. If he hadn't agreed, I would have ordered him to let me do it. "Now just take a seat and we'll get started."

He walked over to his bed and sat down. I followed and crouched beside him.

Lifting up my hands, I placed them gently beside his eyes. Slowly, I started to seep my chakra into him.

He grunted as it entered into his sensitive eyes. I searched around until I found the damaged nerves. One by one, I healed them.

An hour later I finished and he blinked, then gave a tiny smile, obviously pleased with his renewed perfect vision. I grinned, happy with my work.

"You're very good at healing, Sakura-sama." He told me in his ever calm voice. "Akatsuki, is lucky to have someone like you for our future leader."

"Arigatou." I started to leave, then paused and turned him. "I'm going on a walk, care to join me?"

Itachi nodded and followed me out the door. Together we walked through the gardens, enjoying the peaceful beauty.

It was almost funny, we were some of the most powerful and dangerous people on earth, yet we still admired the beautiful things around us.

"Sakura..." Itachi started. "what was your life like? Back in Konoha, I mean." A bird took off from the tree branch in front of and I stopped to watch it.

"At what time? When I was a small child I was sad, the kids teased me, then I met my friend Ino. She helped me, made me happy. Then I got my crush on Sasuke and we fell apart. I was still happy though, all the way until when your brother left. After that I had my first case of depression, though it wasn't obvious, I hid it well. Then after Naruto came back, I was okay for a while, until my parents died. When they died, I went into a deep depression.

"I guess my life wasn't too bad at first. I had friends and family that loved me. But then something happened and I just couldn't hold onto myself anymore. I started training in all my spare time. I never did anything else. I got into ANBU and I became what I am now, a cold hearted killer. Anyway, what did you want to know?" I said.

"Tell of when you were happy." He told me. I nodded and took a seat on the upcoming bench.

"Well, when I was five I met Ino. Together at six we entered the academy. I was always happy then. I was doing what I wanted and I had fun. I remember this one time, we were outside during our lunch break and we decided to walk across the street to this ice cream shop and split a huge shake. It was enormous. We ate so much and finished it in such a hurry that we got sick in the middle of class. I have a lot of memories like that. What about you, Itachi-san?" I inquired.

"I don't really want to talk about that." He whispered. I nodded, understanding. Perhaps in time he would come to tell me. I looked at the sky above us and noticed it had started to grow dark.

"We should probably go back." I suggested. Itachi silently agreed and we started on our way back.

As we approached the building he stopped me.

I stared at him inquisitively.

"Sakura, I'd like to help you with your revenge. If you want it, just tell me." He whispered.

My eyes widened in shock as he bent down do my small frame and gave me a kiss on the lips.

He moved away after a second. I just stood there, in a dumb daze.

In a couple of moments I realized he was still there, his eyes intently locked on me.

"Yes." I breathed. "I want your help."

Together, we smiled, thoughts of revenge and killing running rampant through our heads.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Wooohooo!! Itasaku! Well another chap. up for you guys. Hop you enjoyed it. Sorry that the killing wasn't quite as brutal as it could be, but hey, there's going to be tons more. ;D Tell me what you think of it and here's the latest 'List of Reviewers'.**

**PureElement**

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**Princess45**


	12. Five Shinobi? Five possible kills

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

As the days went by, Itachi and I became closer. We spent our spare time together and trained together, we even ate together in one of our rooms. He started calling me Sakura-chan instead of Sakura -sama after about a week. The first time he said it, I felt elated. It was another step taken in our strange relationship.

Strangely enough, another relationship was forming at the same time as our's; only a lot faster. Deidara and Aia were officially a couple a month after Aia joined us. I was absolutely fine with the fact, as long as it didn't interfere with Aia's training.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I sighed as I entered my bedroom. Winter was upon us and I didn't like it one bit. The cold season was my least favorite of the four. A shiver ran through my body and I realized that my room was freezing. Looking up I found that the large window on the wall opposite me had been left open. Probably since I left this morning.

My palm connected to my forehead with a loud 'SMACK' that resonated through the bare space. When I woke up I had opened the window to let some fresh air in, but apparently I had left it open, allowing the chill in.

Now my room was really fuckin' cold.Great. I sighed again. Oh well, I'd just have to deal with it until my room got warmer. The first thing I did was walk over and close the window. Then I wrapped my arms around myself and moved quickly to the bathroom.

Once there I closed the door and stripped myself of all clothing. I let out a hiss as the cold air hit my sensitive skin. I ran the water for my bath, making sure that it was nice, warm and steaming. When it reached the right point of fullness I got in.

Getting in was slow agony as the immediate change from cold to hot gave me nausea. But once I was in the water however, it was a completely different story. My normally tense muscles relaxed and my eyes slowly closed, leaving me sleeping lightly.

The first thing I noticed was that the water surrounding me was cold. I gave a quick sneeze. Great. I was going to get sick now.

I got up out the bathtub and pulled on my nightclothes then walked back out into my bedroom where a surprise awaited me. Every standing, flat surface had been covered with lit candles. The shadows they cast made the walls dance and possessed the room. A low gasp found it's way out of me as a strong pair of arms encircled my waist.

Immediately I recognized the person and leaned into the hold.

"Itachi? What are you doing?" My quiet voice rang loudly in silence. The man behind me said nothing, instead he swept my long, wet hair off my neck and placed a gentle kiss right below my ear. Another follows and another. Soon he's coating my neck with kisses. I spin in his grasp and capture his lips in my own kiss.

His arms tighten around my middle and start to creep their way up the back of my shirt. His fingers stroked soft patterns into my lower back and I leaned farther into his touch. His kisses returned to my neck and shoulders and I let out a low moan.

"Sakura-sama!" Okay, that was it. I officially hated that blonde menace. Itachi and I both let out a groan of disappointment.

I removed myself from the Uchiha's arms and stalked towards my door, throwing it open.

"What?"

"Ah, there you are Sakura-sama!" Deidara said as he turned towards me. "We have a mission."

"Great." I said through gritted teeth. Absolutely great. Even less sleep for my already sleep deprived self.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As it turned out, we'd learned of a new Jiinchuuriki. She was originally from The Village Hidden in the Rocks, Iwagakure, but had been missing for around three years. Her name was Hikari and she was host to the six tailed rat. That was all we knew.

Judging from reports we'd heard about her, she was clever, a good deceiver and liar as well as a great fighter. I was to accompany Itachi and Kisame on this mission and of course wherever I went, Aia went. We would be gone for a couple of years probably and this fact caused a very sad goodbye between my apprentice and Deidara.

We left the following day. Before the sun had risen, but after the moon had disappeared.

Six months later we still had found absolutely no trace of the girl we were tracking. Then one day we got a tip to follow, the problem was, we weren't the only ones after her. According to our source, some Konoha nin had been asking about the same girl. I swore loudly at this and even louder when we realized the identities of these ninja.

Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino and Chouji. Then slowly my scowl turned into a dark smirk. Five Konoha shinobi; five more chances to kill a Konoha citizen.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Damn. This is really short. Sorry for not getting it up sooner (_ducks all sorts of thrown items, from kunai to computers_), but after my visiting family left I had a bunch of things to take care of with my karate and then I was gone for two weeks. **

**I know this is really short, but I promise I'll post soon. **

**By the way, this story should have no more than five more chapters, but there will be a sequel. Yaaaay!!!**

**Oh and just to clear this up, I know that in the manga and in the future episodes of the anime, some of the Akatsuki characters die. I'm not going to mention any names. But, in my story, they didn't die. K? **

**PureElement **


	13. The Demon of Death

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

"Well, well, if it isn't my old comrades." I laughed coldly as I stared at the group in front of us. "Did you honestly think that you would be able to find this Jiinchuuriki, whisk her away, and keep her safe from us? Well?! Did you?!" I snarled.

There was the quick flash of lightning and the sharp crack of loud thunder. The cold, winter rain started to fall, soaking all of us.

Naruto looked me in the eye, his own eyes full of loathing and hatred. "You will never get your hands on Hikari-chan! I won't let you!" He promised loudly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Flickering away, I appeared in front of him. Leaning into him, I whispered in his ear.

"You forget, Naruto-_kun_, that _I_ killed our dear Sensei. I killed the man I loved. And what did you do, while I took the lives of those men? Nothing!" I spat. "You may be powerful and hold a demon, but that's nothing compared to me. I _am _the demon. And don't _ever_ think that I would hesitate in killing you to get my way."

He attempted to stab in the stomach with the kunai in his hand. His blade only met the hard armor I wore beneath my cloak. I chuckled darkly.

Breaking away from our close proximity he turned to his team.

"Grab Hikari and leave!" He ordered, then brought his gaze back to me as he dropped into a fighting stance. "I'll try and hold them off."

I laughed out loud at his declaration.

"You're a fool, did you know that? Do you think you can stand up against all of us?" I gestured to the three behind me. Naruto's eyes just barely glanced at Itachi and Kisame, he had dealt with them before, it was Aia that captured his attention.

"Aia?" He whispered in a dark, hurt voice. "I thought you were dead. We all did. Why are you with them?! I already had two of my friends betray me, now you do as well?"

The girl gave a small smile giggled.

"I'm Sakura-sama's apprentice. She's teaching me her jutsus. I found my life with Akatsuki. They acknowledge how powerful I am and their willing to let me show it. Unlike you. You all thought that just because I was blind, I couldn't do anything. The only thing I was good for with you was telling you what our surroundings were. Where the enemies were. But you know what? I can see, much better than you." The usual gentle look on Aia's face turned into a malicious sneer. Naruto was shocked at the hatred she threw at him in her words.

"A-Aia... We... we just didn't want you to get hurt. You were so precious to us. We didn't want to loose you. We care so much about you." Naruto's voice was low.

My apprentice narrowed her eyes.

"Like hell you do!" With that she charged. "_Katon: Karyuu Endan_!"

The flame dragon shot forward with amazing speed. The blonde was just barely able to dodge it.

"You bastard!" She screamed. "I was still alive when you left! Sakura-sama saved me. She healed me. She let me live when you left me to die. And you call _her_ the monster?! You fled in fear! You fucking coward!"

I allowed Aia to rant as she unleashed jutsu after jutsu, then I made my move.

"_Kaze no Yaiba._" The blade of wind was impossible to block and hit Naruto full force. He flew back to land on his back, coughing up blood. That was when he really looked at us.

Itachi with is Sharingan spinning, Kisame grinning maniacally with his Samehada ready to use, Aia with hatred and killing intent in her eyes, and me.

And he ran. He ran, following his team.

"Follow them." I ordered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

We caught them a few miles outside of Konoha., where the other members of Akatsuki met us. Even Otou-san was there, as well as Konan.

We surrounded the team. Naruto let off a large chakra spike, alerting any ninja in Konoha that something was happening. I growled.

"Damn brat."

He just stared calmly at me and smiled.

"They'll send out help, you know. Even if you are powerful, when you are outnumbered by so many, you lose." He grinned, all confidence in the Nin of Konoha.

I laughed.

"You don't know anything, do you? You have no idea what I'm capable of." Konoha ninjas started to appear now. I glanced around.

"Kill them. Kill them all!" I yelled. I was excited. Today I would destroy Konoha. Maybe not entirely, but enough to make a large dent.

I summoned Moro and the large wolf god appeared, her two tails up and fur bristling.

"Sakura? Are you going to fight Konoha now? Because you know I wish to be part of it."

"Yes Moro. I am. That is why I summoned you." I answered her questions. .

"Are you planning on using _it_?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes." Slowly, I brought my left hand up and unwrapped the bandages around it, showing the seal.

Closing my eyes, I let go of my demonic chakra.

The power filled me and I spoke the spell on my hand.

"In Hell It waits... In Darkness It sleeps... But I am It's master... For me It wakes... I summon... the Demon of Death." The very air seemed to crackle with tension and power and fear. A being started emerge in front of me.

It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The being looked like a man. It was around ten meters tall with black hair that fell down his back gathered elegantly in a pony-tail. His clothing was like that of a Samurai going into battle. The armor a deep red. It was when you saw his face though, that you knew he was no god, but a demon.

His entire left eye was black with a small circle of white dots. His right eye was a wolf's eye, bright blue in color. The skin was covered in wounds and lacerations. Rotting pieces of flesh peeling off. The infected cuts oozing pussy liquid. The smell that rolled off him was revolting. The metallic scent of blood mixed with decaying bodies.

I grinned happily. It was perfect.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Well, there you go. I know it's short again, and I left you with a cliff hanger, but I really didn't have time for more. I've been busy lately, so I apologize for not updating sooner. **

**I'm really happy right now. I just received my first degree black belt in Karate. **

**I hope you like it!! Sorry, but I don't have time to write down the list of Reviewers. But, if you sent me a review, then your on there!! **

**There's probably only going to be 2 to 3 more chapters, depending on how long the fight scene is. Anyways, review please!! They're my anti-depressant! tee hee jk jk**

**PureElement**


	14. Fury of Battle

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

While the demon wreaked havoc on the force of Konoha-nin, I found myself doing my own damage. My katana was already deep red with blood. Bodies fell continually around me.

Soon enough Naruto stepped in, his eyes were already shifting colors.

"What?" I spoke in the fake innocent voice that I'd developed. "You're giving me the scary eyes, Naruto-kun. I don't like them."

Next thing that registered in my eyes was that he had me pinned to a tree with his hand around my throat.

"I told you, never to call me that! I am no friend of your's, Sakura! You lost that privilege the day you left Konoha, and you destroyed any chance you had of regaining it when killed Neji." He growled at me and tightened his grip.

I was started to feel a bit light headed now, but I disguised the ill feeling with a smirk.

"Naruto-san then. Anyway, would you like to know what happened to Neji? Do you wish to see what he saw? I'll show you." I brought my hands together to form that one single sign and Naruto's hand dropped from my neck like a bomb. Once again, the world turned red and black. Everything stood still, the fights around us had stopped, falling blood did not hit the ground.

"Sakura, what is this?" He whispered. The genjustu had already started working. His breathing was slow and labored and I could tell he was starting to see things that weren't really there.

I walked up to him and circled around him, stopping when I was behind him. Then I leaned over and spoke into his ear.

"This, is what I used on Neji. This is a genjutsu of my own creation. This has been and will be the downfall of many."

A small sting hit my shoulder where it made contact with his back. I looked down and realized that red chakra was starting to poor out of him. I jumped away. _Shit. This is not good!_ My mind screamed. The chakra just rolled off his body, changing his appearance drastically.

Suddenly it shot out, destroying the illusion. I stumbled back. Everything was moving again. I turned and stabbed a chuunin behind me.

The next moment, my attention was back on my old teammate in front of me. We both stood at a stand still as the battle continuing to rage on around us.

My fingers flew through the hand signs as I started the technique.

"Suiton Suriyuudan no Jutsu!" I summoned forth the water and the liquid dragon flew at the blonde. He expertly dodged it and I rolled my eyes before jumping from an attack myself.

Moro appeared beside me. She studied the young man in front of me before speaking.

"He is strong." She said casually.

"Do you think I haven't noticed that? But it doesn't matter, he's not as strong as me." I hissed.

Moro nodded.

"You might want to hurry it up though, the poison in your father's body has suddenly started spreading at an alarming rate. I don't know how potent it is or how long he'll last." She told me.

I took a glance at my father, the Leader of Akatsuki, and saw him stumble. One of Deidara's explosions rocked the ground we all stood on and caused a bright yellow flash blinding us all. By the time I could see again, he had fallen; laying on ground, breathing erratic.

I made a move towards him, but a kunai shot in front of me, reminding me that I still had an opponent to take care of.

"Moro!" I yelled. "Combine!" Our bodies merged and I let out an snarl. I bull-rushed Naruto, lashing out at him with my, now claw-like, nails. He just barely had time to jump aside, landing on his back. I didn't give him any time to recuperate though. The moment he was back on his feet I delivered a sharp round kick to his stomach then switched my feet and, as he fell, kicked him in his back, sending him flying face first into a tree.

He slid down the bark some, before just toppling and falling to collapse on the ground.

I looked once more at my father on the ground, before looking around at everyone else. Kisame was wounded. Deidara was starting to suffer from chakra burnout. Tobi was, well, actually he was doing amazingly well. Zetsu was beginning to feel the toll of the many small wounds he'd collected. Hidan and Kakuzu, actually, I wasn't worried about them. Hidan was masochist and I hated Kakuzu, not to mention he was nearly immortal. Konan was surrounded, but still fighting well, with no sign of major injuries.

Itachi. Where was he? I narrowed my eyes as I searched for him. There! He was swaying on his feet. I immediately cursed. The idiot had used his Mangekyou. Then I looked down at his feet and saw the person whom he'd been fighting. Jiraiya.

"_Sakura!"_ Moro shouted in my mind. _"Your father, he is falling fast!"_

My eyes quickly slid back to the man on the ground as the Wolf God and I separated. Indeed, he was almost at the end of his life. I rushed to Pein's side and took hold of his hand.

"Father! Don't die. Please don't die. What about the Akatsuki?" I whispered.

He only smiled, his eyes unfocused and staring up at the stormy clouds above us.

"Sakura-chan, you and I both new my end was coming, besides, did I not make you my successor? Take charge of the Akatsuki and have a good life with Itachi." He coughed harshly and a small dribble of blood fell from between his lips. The poison was actually burning and eating away at his insides, soon it would reach is heart and he would die within a few seconds. "I must tell you though, leave for now. This battle is not worth continuing on this day. Everyone is wounded and all though you are all powerful, they outnumber you greatly. Save the fight for another time and leave while you still can."

I bowed my head as his breathing slowed then hitched and blood poured from his mouth. I would follow his orders.

"Hai, Otou-sama." I said to his corpse as I placed a hand over his unseeing eyes.

I felt a chuunin try to sneak up behind me and I turned, fury filling me now, leaving no room for sorrow.

I wanted to kill. I wanted to have the ground covered with blood and have the trees stained crimson. I was angry. I wanted death to surround me.

_It_ started to rise in me and I smirked, inviting it. The blue flames flickered to life and the air became thick. The 'Demon Death' technique had started.

I shattered the chuunin's legs, causing him to collapse on the ground. Then I stabbed him straight through the heart. My sword dripped blood and I grinned. I placed my finger to catch some and watching in horrid fascination as it ran down my pale skin, dying it.

So caught up in it was I, that I didn't even feel Naruto coming up to me. Not until the kunai was already embedded in my skin.

I cried out in pain and shock. The pain only spread as I turned to face my old teammate. His eyes were hard and cold and blood dripped from his body.

"I'm sorry you turned out this way, Sakura. I'm sorry that you felt like we abandoned you. But I won't feel sorry about killing you. A long time ago, I swore to protect Konoha; and if protecting it means killing the monster you've become, then I will gladly do it." He spoke.

I growled before stumbling backwards as the world shifted. Strong arms caught me and gathered me up. I knew it was Itachi. I lashed out at the blonde in front of me, screaming at the Uchiha to let me go.

His grip only tightened.

"Kisame and Hidan are dead." He told me. "We're unsure whether or not Zetsu will survive. We need to leave, Sakura. Please, we cannot leave without you. Pein-sama is dead, you are now the leader of Akatsuki."

His words sunk in and I found myself agreeing with him. I gave a slight nod before speaking to Naruto.

"One day, Naruto-san, Akatsuki will capture you and extract the Kyuubi. And the same goes for that brat Jiinchuuriki, Hikari you protected! Watch out, Naruto, I'm not dead." I spat at him.

He growled at me, but stayed in place, not making a move. I smirked then nodded to Itachi, telling him that I was ready to go. He saw my silent command and we disappeared from sight, along with the rest of Akatsuki.

Itachi held me gently in his arms as we raced through the trees, going from limb to limb, always careful of my wound. I smiled softly. I was in the one place I could let my guard down.

My vision started to blur from blood loss and I felt dizzy. Against my medical knowledge and instincts, I started to slip into sleep. I couldn't help it. I was so tired for some reason. My body and my mind were exhausted. I looked up in my last few moments of consciousness and saw Itachi's eyes on me. I smiled and whispered.

"We'll take them down another day, and then they will fall to Hell."

My hand stung as the spell for the Demon of Death retreated, bringing the creature back to the depths of darkness. My vision went black and it is there that I slipped from consciousness.

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**Alright! Sorry for the wait people. .' I'm got sick after coming back from NYC. Anyway, this is the last official chapter of 'Through Crimson Hell' but there will be the epilogue up soon (I hope). Don't worry, she doesn't die.**

**Sorry, but there's just too many reviewers for me to put down!! That's actually a really good thing. If you reviewed, then thank you. Know that I love ya.**

**And 'Jenny', I'm sorry that you didn't like my story, but you could have at least told me why you didn't like it instead of just telling me that it sucked and that you hate it.**

**Sasuke will appear either in the epilogue or early in the sequel (as a flashback). Okay, once again, sorry about the wait, but I hope you like me and my story anyway.**

**PureElement**


	15. Epilogue

THROUGH CRIMSON HELL

EPILOGUE

"Okaa-san!" A small voice said behind me. I turned to see a small boy of four there. I smiled down at him.

"What is my son?" I asked kindly.

He held out his hands showing me a frog clutched in the chubby toddler's fingers.

"I caught it myself!" He said, beaming proudly. I chuckled before telling how amazing that was and what a good job he had done then sending him away to play more.

I watched as he joined the other three. The sight of all four of them melted my heart. My children and Itachi were the only ones that were able claim a position in my ice cold soul

I watched as Kanaye chased the girls with the frog causing them to scream in playful fright.

A year after that fight with Konohagakure, Itachi and I had been blessed with four children. Quadruplets. Two boys, two girls. The boys were named Haru and Kanaye and the girls were named Akiko and Mai.

They were four now, almost five.

Arms circled around me and a low voice whispered into my ear.

"I got it." I spun quickly at those words to see Itachi's emotionless face. I grinned.

"Really? Perfect. That is absolutely perfect." I said.

I knew exactly what he was talking about.

He'd been chosen to be the next Mizukage.

When we discovered that I was pregnant we'd placed ourselves in Kirigakure under the names Hana and Mamoru. We'd both joined the ranks, though I was placed on leave due to the pregnancy.

Itachi quickly climbed the rungs that were village positions and grew steadily closer to the current Mizukage. While he was busy with that, I became a very respected Jounin Instructor and a member of Kiri's ANBU. I had taught two teams so far, both became famous for their skills, fearlessness and ability to get the job done.

"Otou-sama?" Itachi looked down to see his two daughters. All four children called him by the respectful title from the time they had learned to speak.

He knelt down in front of them and looked at them eye-to-eye.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Haru and Kanaye won't let us play with them." They complained. Itachi nodded and stood.

"Well, let's go talk to them." They walked off to the area where the boys were, leaving me to my thoughts once again.

Soon, in a few weeks really, the children would join the Ninja Academy of Kirigakure along with all the other children their age. They would stay there until they passed their Genin Exams, and then I would become their Jounin Instructor.

Itachi and I would teach them everything we could and help them with their own special abilities, until they were ready to stand with us as the children of legends and demons. When that time came, we would take down Konoha once and for all.

The Village Hidden in the Mist would follow their leader and stand beside Akatsuki to destroy their enemy.

**Alright!! Finally, I have the Epilogue up!! I'm sooooooo sorry about how long this took to update. I've had some things going on in my life that kept me really busy. Luckily that stuff is over now and I'll have time to start writing again. I have some news as well. I'm now a Beta Reader, so if anyone would like to know more about that, check out my profile. Umm, Oh! yeah, I'm working on getting a book published on . The way it works is they print with demand, so if people would buy it, they'll print it. The story deals with a girl that's destined to save the world, and her struggle with the things she must do in order to fulfill her destiny. If you would be interesting in buying the book, please tell me, as I'm currently doubting if people would actually read it.**

**Thanks for your patience and I hope to have the first chapter to the sequel out sometime within the month.**

**PureElement (or L)**


	16. Question

Hey everybody, this is PureElement. I have a poll up on my profile about Blood Flower, the sequel to Through Crimson Hell. I'm wondering if you guys really want me to continue with the story or if it's alright if I drop it. Hope you guys vote. Thanks!


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